COVID-19

Patients with COVID-19 who were vaccinated against the flu were found to be significantly less likely to visit the emergency department and be admitted to the intensive care unit.

Anna Legreid Dopp, PharmD, CPHQ, senior director of clinical guidelines and quality improvement at ASHP, said their organization was proud to sign onto a recent statement urging health care organizations to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their employees.

This week on Pharmacy Times, there are a number of important topics that will be covered and posted throughout the week.

FDA approvals of vaccines usually take 10 to 15 years, but the pandemic necessitates emergency action.

Officials with the CDC updated their COVID-19 guidelines today, urging that vaccinated individuals in areas of substantial and high transmission wear masks in public indoor spaces, including schools, in order to prevent the spread of the Delta variant.

The clinical trial expansion is part of efforts to detect potential adverse effects in children, such as heart inflammation problems.

Two of the studies also found that patients with COVID-19 who received remdesivir had a significantly increased chance of discharge from the hospital by day 28.

One dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria) was 82% effective against hospitalization or death caused by either the Beta or Gamma variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to data from the Canadian Immunization Research Network, currently published as a pre-print.

Joint statement released supporting belief that COVID-19 vaccines are the logical fulfillment of the ethical obligation of all health care workers to put their patients first.

The results indicated that T cell responses—including CD8+ T cells, which seek out and destroy infected cells—persisted over the 8-month timeframe of the study, according to the authors.

Kevin Day, PharmD, president of Day’s Miami Heights Pharmacy in Cincinnati, Ohio, discusses how his independent pharmacy is gearing up for influenza season while continuing to deliver COVID-19 vaccines safely.

The research team analyzed data from the Household Pulse Survey in March 2021, which is an online nationally representative sample of the population conducted by the US Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics and other agencies.

Heparin, a blood thinner given regularly at a low dose to hospitalized patients, helps to stop clots from forming and reduces inflammation.

The companies completed the rolling submission of their application in May 2021, and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date for a decision is in January 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased vigilance over the proper disposal of vaccine-related materials, such as vials, needles, syringes, and bandages.

Adults unsure about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine who were given more information about the vaccine’s efficacy scored 20% higher on a measure of willingness to be vaccinated versus others who received no information.

Vaccinated individuals overall had large amounts of antibodies present compared to infected individuals, suggesting that vaccination both protects against becoming infected and reduces the likelihood of transmitting the virus to others.

The researchers also tested the effectiveness of 2 different transmission control strategies.

The risk for developing the rare neurological condition are low following vaccination, with the FDA noting the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the potential risks.

This week on Pharmacy Times, there are a number of important topics that will be covered and posted throughout the week.

Mikhail Kosiborod, MD, cardiologist and vice president of research at Saint Luke's Health in Kansas City, discussed the implications of the DARE-19 trial results assessing dapagliflozin as a treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized with COVID-19.

The companies say COVID-19 booster shots may be necessary, although the FDA and CDC have disagreed.

Although pharmaceutical companies have already begun developing COVID-19 vaccine boosters, Michael Haydock of Informa Pharma Intelligence said boosters may not be necessary in the fall of 2021.

The preprint submitted by the company consists of a new analysis from blood samples obtained from a subset of participants in the phase 3 ENSEMBLE study.

The investigators also found that the risk of spreading disease may be lower amongst those with breakthrough infections.