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Key Points
January 22, 2021
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In today’s Recommendations for Industry, we explore President Biden’s new Federal Strategy – and a new TAG Vaccine Manual!
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United State’s President Joe Biden and the incoming administration has released the “National Strategy for The COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness”
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President Biden is also encouraging “masking up” to reduce spread so that more businesses can be open. Masks will be required in airports, trains, intercity busses, etc. Additionally, the new Executive Order requires international travelers to show proof of having a negative COVID-19 test before coming to the U.S.
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NPR reports that both the National Institutes of Health and the Infectious Diseases Society of America continue to update COVID-19 treatment guidelines, essentially giving a “scorecard on COVID-19 drugs”.
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On Thursday, there was a fire at an Indian facility producing Astrazeneca vaccines.
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Nature reports that there is growing evidence “that some coronavirus variants could evade immune responses triggered by vaccines and previous infection”. However, this is still under investigation and “the picture is murky” as the results do not yet indicate the full importance.
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From the emerging data, the B1117 variants “shouldn’t make a difference to the vaccine’s effectiveness but could as antibody levels wane over time.”
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There may be a dampened response to the 501Y.V2 variant.
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Recommendations for Industry
A New Federal Strategy – and a TAG Vaccine Manual
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On Thursday, President Biden issued a 200-page document on his administration’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. From TAG’s thus-far brief review, it appears that the administration will be increasing its funding, data collection, and tracking, then leveraging that information for its response and preparedness strategy.
There also is some indication that we could see federal guidance and/or mandates coming out as well – with a mask mandate already having been issued for all federal buildings and public transportation.
TAG will continue reviewing the document, watching for federal action on the strategy, and keeping you updated on all we learn. Keep an eye on this newsletter!
One strategy in the document focuses on ensuring that everyone will have an opportunity to be vaccinated, specifically: “The United States will spare no effort to ensure Americans can get vaccinated quickly, effectively, and equitably. The federal government will execute an aggressive vaccination strategy, focusing on the immediate actions necessary to convert vaccines into vaccinations, including improving allocation, distribution, administration, and tracking.” At the same time, “the federal government will mount an unprecedented public campaign that builds trust around vaccination and communicates the importance of maintaining public health measures.”
Understanding that there are trust issues as well as numerous questions around vaccines, TAG has undertaken its own 2021 strategy to help inform management and employees and answer questions. As such, we have developed a TAG COVID-19 Vaccine Training Manual, which we will be updating regularly, as we do with the TAG COVID-19 Toolkit, which we have been distributing since last March. The Manual is being distributed to all TAG COVID clients, with periodic excerpts in future newsletters. If you are not contracted with TAG for COVID-19 consultation, contact us for information on receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Training Manual and its regular updates.
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In Case You Missed It...
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In Wednesdays’ Recommendations for Industry, we explored this week’s U.S. 50-State Risk Matrix some encouraging downward trends in case rates and transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
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It is now believed that the B117 COVID-19 variant likely has been circulating in California and Florida since mid-November. There are currently 122 confirmed cases in 20 states.
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In addition to TAG’s Vaccine Q&A, the New England Journal of Medicine has its own COVID-19 vaccine FAQ.
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Although travel restrictions were set to be lifted by outgoing U.S. President Trump for 26 countries in the Schengen zone and Brazil, starting January 26th, incoming President Joe Biden is expected to block this order, due to the increasing rise in COVID-19 variants and coronavirus spread.
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Due to manufacturing disruptions in Belgium, Pfizer has alerted Canada that the country would not be receiving any COVID-19 vaccines next week.
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Hospital beds in intensive care units across various counties around the U.S. are running out of beds. It is important to continue your preventive measures so that you may protect
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Kaiser Health reports that Black Americans are less likely to (and currently) not being vaccinated at the same rates as whites; due to lack of access and anti-vaccine sentiment.
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Moderna is currently investigating some “higher than usual number of possible allergic reactions” from a specific clinic in San Diego, CA. Early indications suggest that these reactions may be associated with a specific lot of vaccine.
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In Monday’s Recommendations for Industry, we discussed the potential of the new variants to upend the current stable period we see with COVID-19 cases. Read more.
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The COVID-19 death toll has risen over 2 million worldwide; this marks a new milestone in this pandemic.
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In the U.S., the B117 variant of COVID-19 is expected to become the dominant COVID-19 strain in the upcoming months (by March 2021). It is imperative that despite receiving the vaccine, everyone continues to practice preventive measures, including mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing.
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In last Friday’s Recommendations for Industry, we explored the latest on the COVID-19 vaccine and complexities and business decisions surrounding it. Read more.
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The CDC released some information on the types of symptoms to expect after receiving a vaccine.
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A best practice of keeping COVID-19 out of your home is to improve the ventilation (air flow) and bring in fresh air, especially if you are having visitors. This extra step, on top of staying 6 feet apart and wearing masks, can decrease your risk of getting/spreading COVID-19. Improving ventilation may include, opening windows, using air filters, and turning on fans – all actions that can clear the air and move the particles out of the space you are in.
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You can also use a window exhaust fan or place a fan as close as possible to an open door or window, blowing outwards.
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If you want a portable air cleaner, consider using a high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) cleaner sized for the room(s) you are airing out.
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Read more tips from the CDC, including how to use ceiling fans, vent bathrooms, etc.
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Beware of black market COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA has also issued a warning to beware of fraudulent tests, vaccines, and treatments. Be wary of unofficial COVID-19 vaccines and unscrupulous individuals who may be selling or administering the vaccine. Currently, vaccines are being distributed and administered through health departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and other valid medical or pharmaceutical facilities. Do not take a vaccine that is offered outside of locations listed above. If you have questions about the appropriateness of a vaccination site, reach out to your local or state health department.
Keep up to date with COVID-19:
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Please send us any questions, comments, and/or concerns! We are happy to talk with you.
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