COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, April 19, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began a new $1.7 billion program to identify and track COVID-19 variants through genetic sequencing.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) renewed the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90-days. Extending the PHE also extends many of the temporary regulatory flexibilities that were implemented for the duration of the PHE.
As it becomes increasingly clear that booster vaccine doses will be needed, the White House is working to ensure the government has enough vaccine supply for these extra doses.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, President Biden’s nominee for CMS Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure expressed her support for making temporary Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent.
The CDC published updated guidelines on The Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination for Healthcare Personnel; Cleaning and Disinfecting; and Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines.

Congress

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee holds a hearing on Tuesday (10:00 am ET) about modernizing the workforce and education as part of the COVID-19 economic recovery.
Ten Senators are urging President Biden to temporarily waive patent protections for the COVID-19 vaccines as a strategy to expand access to the vaccines on a global scale.
The Senate will vote on Asian hate crime legislation. Attacks against Asian-Americans have increased during the pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began a new $1.7 billion program to identify and track COVID-19 variants through genetic sequencing.
As of today, all adults are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in every state.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) renewed the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90 days. Extending the PHE also extends many of the temporary regulatory flexibilities that were implemented for the duration of the PHE.
As it becomes increasingly clear that booster vaccine doses will be needed, the White House is working to ensure the government has enough vaccine supply for these extra doses.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, President Biden’s nominee for CMS Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure expressed her support for making temporary Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci is optimistic Johnson & Johnson vaccinations will resume by Friday, perhaps with new warnings or restrictions.
As we patiently wait to learn more about the blood clotting risk associated with the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, it is important to weigh that risk relative to other vaccines, medications and diseases. For example, new research found a greater risk for this type of blood clot with a COVID-19 diagnosis than for the J&J vaccine.
Over half of American adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Eli Lilly & Co. asked the FDA to revoke emergency approval for its antibody therapy bamlanivimab unless it is used in combination with other antibody therapies. The drug, when used alone, is not an effective treatment for COVID-19 variants and is more effective as part of a combination therapy.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) began a competitive award program to fund ideas for how to use testing to reopen schools for in-person learning.
A new study shows dogs can be trained to diagnose COVID-19 by smell with 96 percent accuracy.
A WHO Committee opposes requiring “vaccine passports” for traveling internationally.