October 28, 2020 3:40 a.m.

Oregon, Washington and Nevada have joined California’s COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which will independently review the safety and efficacy of any vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for distribution.

A release from Governor Kate Brown said last week, California Governor Newsom announced the panel, made up of nationally acclaimed scientists with expertise in immunization and public health.

Brown said, “The vaccines currently in development, once approved, are what Americans have been waiting for to protect their families, their children, and their loved ones in long-term care facilities”. She said the independent review conducted by the panel will “…ensure that a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is available to everyone, especially communities that have been disproportionately impacted by this disease”.

The release said Brown will join the Governors of Washington and Nevada to identify public health experts that will join California’s workgroup to guide the review of any vaccine approved by the FDA. The group will verify the vaccine’s safety before the four states make it available to the public.