As California moves along its COVID-19 vaccination process, a panel of experts clarified the process and answered common questions about vaccines.

The Berkeley Conversations event, “An update on COVID vaccines: experts weigh in,” was moderated by UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof. The four speakers answered general questions about vaccines before discussing vaccine equity, access and other ethical concerns regarding vaccine distribution.

The panelists began by giving their opinions on the vaccine rollout so far. State epidemiologist and deputy director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Erica Pan said, despite the challenges California faces as a large and diverse state, 10% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated as of March 15.

“We’re doing amazing as a state,” Pan said during the event. “Just hang with us a little bit longer — we are really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”

As an ethicist, Haas distinguished chair and professor of bioethics, Osagie Obasogie emphasized the importance of framing the public conversation around vaccine access. He added that various demographics have different barriers in terms of getting a vaccine, and there isn’t any one solution.

Associate professor of community health sciences Colette Auerswald noted that California needs a combination of vaccination plans to fit the intersectional identities of different people and that people will make the best decisions they can with the information available to them.

“I’m feeling optimistic,” Obasogie said during the event. “If these vaccines are communicated in a way that reasonably describe their efficacy and their benefits, and these vaccines are made available, people will participate.”

Mogulof noted that there are many different “equity lines” that have been drawn to prioritize vaccine rollout — including race, age and preexisting conditions. Though Auerswald said the scarcity of vaccines pits these groups against each other, she stressed that everyone is doing their best to distribute vaccines equitably.

According to UC Berkeley School of Public Health division head of epidemiology Arthur Reingold, it is very difficult to get vaccine distribution right as even the meetings focused on creating guidelines for vaccine prioritization have been superseded by political considerations.

Reingold added that it is unrealistic to expect data on the long-term safety of any new vaccine; however, the benefits of being vaccinated far outweigh any known or likely risks of the COVID-19 vaccines. Pan added that it is important to work with the right providers and communities to spread good information from trusted sources.

The panelists concluded by discussing what to pay attention to in the future. Reingold said he wants to see a much higher proportion of people getting vaccinated and the disappearance of the political nature of vaccine distribution.

“I really want us to continue to get vaccinated as quickly as possible to stay, hopefully, this time, ahead of this virus,” Pan said during the event.