Episode 155: AstraZeneca's vaccine woes, compassionate use, & giving out Covid vaccines

What's next for AstraZeneca? Are there any right answers when it comes to compassionate use? And how does it feel to give someone a Covid-19 vaccine? We cover all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. First, we discuss the latest in a long series of issues for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine and the implications for the global pandemic response. Next, we dive into the dilemma over compassionate use, talking to Biogen's former PR chief about the struggle over whether — and how — desperate patients should be able to access experimental medicines. Finally, we interview a registered nurse in Boston about what it's like to bring joy, relief, and reassurance to thousands of people by injecting them with Covid-19 vaccines.