Webinar: Friday, 20 August 2021, 10 am

Register here: https://www.magriet.co/censcom

The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown many journalists in the deep-end of medical science. How do they explain to readers, listeners and viewers that vaccines are effective and that steroids can help very sick people with Covid? Conversely, how do they get across that there isn't sufficient evidence to recommend drugs like ivermectin?

During this informative one-hour online session, Prof Shabir Madhi, one of the country's leading medical scientists, will explain how clinical trials work, and how these tell us if a medicine or vaccine is safe and effective. Dr Ushma Mehta, a pharmacovigilance consultant, and Dr Harris Steinman, a medical doctor and consumer activist, will be facilitating the discussion and asking questions.

• This webinar is hosted by Stellenbosch University's Journalism Department's Centre for Science and Technology Mass Communication (CENSCOM) and GroundUp. Dr Nathan Geffen is founder and editor of GroundUp and director of CENSCOM.

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