The race to a COVID vaccine has become a global effort — and fight. There are more than 200 vaccine trials currently worldwide, 29 of those in clinical trials with a handful in large-scale/phase 3 trials.
Track the Vax is a weekly podcast from MedPage Today and Everyday Health to keep you informed on the development of a covid-19 vaccine, from trials to distribution and everything in between.
We take a science-driven look at what’s going on behind the scenes. Hosted and produced by medical correspondent Serena Marshall, with Executive producer health journalist Lara Salahi this podcast will bring you interviews and conversations with all the key players — from leading researchers to pharmaceutical companies to distributors, and even those in line to get the shot.
Creator & Host - Serena Marshall
As an award-winning broadcast news correspondent, she's covered the White House
and Capitol Hill for ABC News; travelled globally reporting on U.S. immigration; and helped lead the team that broke the restoration of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba, which won the Merriam-Smith award for outstanding coverage.
During her time as a reporter/producer for ABC News, she was part of the breaking news team that won an Edward R. Murrow for their coverage of the Baltimore Riots, and a Peabody for their coverage of Superstorm Sandy: “The Perfect Storm.”
Serena holds a master's degree in Health Communication from the University of Florida and a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism - News Reporting also from Florida.
She got her start in journalism working the medical beat for ABC News based in New York before moving to D.C. and working as a general assignment digital journalist, reporting and producing for all ABC News shows and platforms including Good Morning America and World News with David Muir.
Executive Producer - Lara Salahi
Lara Salahi is an award-winning multimedia journalist and author, and assistant professor of Broadcast and Digital Journalism at Endicott College.
Lara has worked in local news, network and cable television, print, and documentary film, and her work has been published in and broadcast on numerous news outlets around the world.
Lara previously worked with ABC News' Medical Unit, where she produced digital and on-air health stories. While at The Boston Globe, Lara was part of the team and its news site Boston.com which was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for exhaustive and empathetic breaking news coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and the ensuing manhunt.
Her book, Outbreak Culture, examines each phase of the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic -- the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak to date -- and identifies the factors that complicated the response to the crisis. Through original research, critical interviews and shoe leather reporting, the book exposes a fractured system of global outbreak response and lays out guiding principles to shift the culture among international responders.
She received a dual undergraduate degree from Boston University in Broadcast Journalism and International Relations with a concentration in Middle East and North African foreign policy and security studies, along with a minor in French. She has a master's degree in Health Communication from Emerson College and a doctorate in Education from Regis College with a concentration in teaching and learning.
Production Consultant - Andrew Kalb
Andrew is the founder and president of Blue Desk Productions, a full-service content consultancy, management and strategy firm which provides a broad range of audio and video production services for broadcast, digital and podcast platforms.
Previously, Andrew was Executive Director/Programming and News Coverage for the audio businesses of ABC News. In his 22+ years at ABC News Radio, he was responsible for all broadcast and digital audio programming.
These areas included 1650 radio affiliates and ABC News Radio’s slate of almost two dozen podcast titles including the daily news podcast Start Here and the #1 podcast, The Dropout.
Under his leadership, ABC News Radio was able to advance to the digital audio space without leaving behind the legacy broadcasting experience that delivered ABC News Radio to its market leading position.
While at ABC News Radio, Andrew led and directed industry award-winning coverage, including 19 National Edward R. Murrow Awards - honored for Overall Excellence for three consecutive years (2014, 2015 and 2016) and an innovation in journalism Murrow Award for Start Here, ABC News’ daily news podcast (2018).
Blue Desk Productions is a full-service content consultancy, management and strategy firm. We provide a broad range of audio and video production services for broadcast, digital and podcast platforms.