Vaccines

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

Daily national surveys by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) show that although COVID-19 vaccine uptake has increased, the proportion of vaccine-hesitant adults has remained unchanged.

The pharmacy community has stepped up mightily to ensure this massive health care effort is successful.

A prognostic COVID-19 Severity Test has been launched for the identification of high-risk individuals who are likely to experience the most severe COVID-19 complications upon exposure to the virus.

Researchers found no evidence that protection against COVID-19 reinfection declined within a 6-month follow-up period.

As the pandemic has continued, it has helped shine a light on how important pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians can help impact their communities.

Shoulder injuries are a real concern because some health care workers may be new to administering vaccines.

Farah Towfic, PharmD, MBA, director, CEO operations at US Pharmacopeia (USP), discusses USP’s release of an updated version of its COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit in response to feedback from independent pharmacies to mass vaccination clinics.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted pharmacy practice due to its role in supporting overwhelmed physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals who faced some of the immediate challenges of the crisis.

Pharmacies can reach patients who are not receiving vaccines from a pharmacy but are willing to receive them.

This vaccine rollout has become even more crucial for the US health care system, as new mutations of the coronavirus continue to emerge.

Following a review of the latest interim data released by AstraZeneca on its US phase 3 clinical trial assessing the 2-dose AZD1222 COVID-19 vaccine, the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) expressed concern at the inclusion of what may have been outdated data.

Phase 3 clinical testing of a plant-derived COVID-19 vaccine candidate in combination with a pandemic adjuvant commenced following approval to proceed with participant enrollment from regulatory authorities in both Canada and the United States.

The independent data safety monitoring board conducted a specific review of thrombotic events related to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine and found no increased risk.

The first participants were dosed in the phase 2/3 KidCOVE study investigating vaccine candidate mRNA-1273 against COVID-19 in children aged 6 months to less than 12 years of age.

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

In a recent interview with Pharmacy Times, Raj Desai, PharmD, MBA, discussed a recent COVID-19 vaccination event at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, where he is the director of pharmacy.

Community pharmacists have an essential role to play during this phase of the crisis that could further entrench them as the epicenter of care in the communities they serve.

One recent study found COVID-19 antibodies in all 20 pregnant women and their newborns.

Health care professionals should address potential barriers to completing the COVID-19 vaccination series, including scheduling second-dose appointments at the first-dose administration and sending reminders for second-dose visits.

Using inclusive questions, preferred terms, and language etiquette can turn the simple task of immunizing into a fulfilling patient-centered opportunity for both pharmacists and patients.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Beth Battaglino, RN-C, CEO of HealthyWomen and a convener of the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project, on the recent “Count Me In” digital campaign.

Although COVID-19 tests fell by 10% during the past week, positive cases fell by a significant 12%, resulting in the ninth consecutive week of a declining national positivity rate.

A follow-up poll from the University of Michigan (U-M) found that 71% of people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are now ready to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when a dose becomes available to them.

The Medicare payment amount for administering the COVID-19 vaccine is increasing, according to a statement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.