An experimental vaccine could help fight the opioid epidemic

Tackling the opioid crisis requires changing strategies and the way we think about addiction, says Columbia University professor Sandra Comer. 

At least 100,000 people died from a drug overdose between May 2020 and May 2021 — up 22% from the year before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the last two decades, nearly 1 million Americans have died from drug overdoses, with more than 70% of them involving opioids. 

"One of the mistakes that people make when they think about drug users, 'Oh, it's somebody's choice to have this disorder.' That's not true," she said. "It's a medical disease and we need to treat it."