Mercy College Professor Published Op-Ed in MedPage Today

In his op-ed recently published in MedPage Today, Mercy College professor and epidemiologist Dr. Rossi A. Hassad has urged the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give greater priority to more timely and effective messaging about COVID-19 vaccines.

Hassad’s article, “COVID Vaccines Are a Scientific Feat, but ‘Prevention’ Is a Misnomer,” suggests that some of the public confusion and concerns about vaccine effectiveness may be the result of imprecise labeling and messaging from the FDA. Hassad notes that by using the words “prevention of COVID-19” in their labeling, the FDA may have fostered an unrealistic public expectation of absolute protection or immunity against COVID-19.

Hassad states that the vaccines were developed to protect against symptomatic disease, rather than to prevent COVID-19. He writes, “...in light of the increasing number of breakthrough cases, the public may be inclined to believe that the COVID-19 vaccines are losing effectiveness.”

“These vaccines continue to significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death—and that's an amazing scientific feat amidst a deadly pandemic,” Hassad writes. “[But] the word prevention in this context…can contribute to public confusion and vaccine hesitancy.”

To read the full op-ed, please click here.