SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom Monday named a group of nationally acclaimed California physician-scientists with expertise in immunization and public health to the state’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

The Workgroup will independently review the safety and efficacy of any vaccine that receives FDA approval for distribution.

While there is no proven vaccine for COVID-19 yet, these top health experts – guided by the principles of safety, equity and transparency – will review any vaccine that receives federal approval and verify its safety, before California makes a COVID-19 vaccine available to those most at risk.

The Scientific Safety Review Workgroup is a key piece of the state’s initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, which was submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. Many vaccine candidates are in clinical trials currently, and California is putting a system in place for the distribution and administration of vaccine as supply becomes available.

“Our response to COVID-19 has and will continue to lead with data and science including when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines,” Newsom said. “California leads in science and by bringing together our state’s brightest scientific minds, we can ensure that any vaccine distributed here meets safety requirements. Recognizing that supplies will be limited initially and the first doses of vaccines must go to health care workers, first responders and others who are especially vulnerable to this disease, we are working to ensure that administration and distribution of an approved vaccine is equitable.”

California’s planning process for the eventual distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccine is guided by the overarching principles of ensuring the COVID-19 vaccine meets safety requirements; ensuring that the vaccine is distributed and administered equitably, at first to those with the highest risk of becoming infected and spreading COVID-19; and transparency, by bringing in community stakeholders from the outset.

“While a small number of doses of an FDA-approved vaccine could be deployed before year’s end, the reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us well into 2021 – and widespread vaccine distribution likely won’t occur for many more months,” said Dr. Erica Pan, Acting State Public Health Officer.

“Across the country, states are seeing increases in COVID-19 transmission, but thanks to Californians’ adherence to our public health guidance and our slow and stringent reopening, that hasn’t happened yet here in California,” Pan said. “Let’s keep it up – wear a mask, keep physical distance, limit contact outside your household and wash your hands.”

The California Department of Public Health also encourages all persons six months of age or older to get vaccinated to protect from the flu this season to help keep us all healthier this winter.

The members of the Scientific Safety Review Workgroup named today are:

* Chairman Dr. Arthur L. Reingold, the Division Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UC Berkeley, School of Public Health.

* Dr. Tomás Aragón, the Health Officer of City & County of San Francisco, and Director of the Population Health Division at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

* Ambassador Eric Goosby is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Global Health Delivery, Diplomacy and Economics, Institute for Global Health Sciences, at the University of California, San Francisco.
* Dr. Rodney Hood, the president and founder of the Multicultural Health Foundation and the past president of the National Medical Association and a Board Trustee of Alliance Healthcare Foundation.

* Dr. Nicola P. Klein, a senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, and director of the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center.

* Dr. Grace Lee, a professor of pediatrics specializing in infectious diseases at the Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.

* Dr. Yvonne (Bonnie) Maldonado, a professor and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics at Stanford Medicine.

* Dr. Mark Sawyer, an infectious disease specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital and a professor of clinical pediatrics at UC San Diego and the medical director of the UC San Diego San Diego Immunization Partnership.

* Dr. Rob Schechter, Chief of California Department of Public Health’s Immunization Branch.

* Dr. Peter Szilagyi, a pediatric health services and clinical researcher at UCLA with an overall mission to improve access to health care, quality of care, and health outcomes for children.

* Dr. Matt Zahn, the Medical Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Assessment for the Orange County Health Care Agency. He served as chair for the Immunization Advisory Workgroup for the National Association of County and City Health Officials from 2009 to 2012.

In addition to the Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which includes many current and prior members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a Drafting Guidelines Workgroup comprised of immunization, public health, ethicists, health care and academic experts will develop California-specific guidance for the prioritization and allocation of vaccines when supplies are limited.

A Community Advisory Vaccine Committee will provide input and feedback to the planning efforts and solve barriers of equitable vaccine implementation and decision-making.