The Brian Lehrer Show Pandemic Preparedness Alert
Oct 28, 2025
Seth Berkley, an infectious disease epidemiologist and former CEO of Gavi, discusses urgent lessons from the COVID pandemic. He highlights the critical need for vaccine equity, arguing that vaccinating all countries protects global health. Berkley critiques wealthy nations for hoarding vaccines and explores logistics of delivering doses to low-income areas. He warns against anti-vaccine sentiments and emphasizes the importance of trustworthy science amid rising skepticism, while also addressing the ongoing challenges in developing an HIV vaccine.
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Early Signals Warrant Aggressive Planning
- Early January 2020 signaled possible person-to-person transmission and required planning as if it were 'the big one'.
- Seth Berkley describes that early cautious planning shaped pandemic preparedness actions.
COVAX Achieved More Than Ever Before
- COVAX delivered unprecedented vaccine reach but fell short of perfect equity, with 57% primary coverage in the 92 poorest countries versus 67% globally.
- Berkley calls it the fastest, largest vaccine rollout in history despite delays and export bans.
Preorders Tied Up Global Supply
- Wealthy countries rationally pre-ordered many vaccine types, which tied up global supply early on.
- Berkley explains donations later required new liability and transfer mechanisms, slowing distribution.
