COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, May 10, 2021

White House pandemic response coordinator Jeff Zients said the U.S. is “turning the corner” against COVID-19. The government is increasing its reliance on doctors, and the trust they’ve cultivated with their patients, to help reach those remaining unvaccinated Americans.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is increasing payment rates for COVID-19 monoclonal antibody infusion therapy.
Pfizer and BioNTech officially asked the FDA to authorize their COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents age 12-15. The vaccine is currently authorized for people 16 and older. On May 10, the FDA issued approval to include this new age group, making the Pfizer vaccine available for anyone 12 and older.
Novavax is planning to begin shipping doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX global vaccine distribution program in the third quarter of this year. The AMA published new CPT codes for the Novavax vaccine.

Congress

On May 11 (10:00 am ET), the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing on the federal pandemic response. The hearing witnesses include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Director Dr. Peter Marks and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Chief Science Officer Dr. David Kessler.

President Biden will meet with six governors about how to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says state and local governments will have broad discretion to decide how to use the relief money they receive from the American Rescue Plan.
White House pandemic response coordinator Jeff Zients said the U.S. is “turning the corner” against COVID-19.
Zients also defended the decision to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while reports of blood clots associated with the vaccine were investigated.
The Treasury Department is distributing $21.6 billion in rental assistance aid. The government is allowing the money to go directly to renters instead of to landlords.

As the country reaches the point where most people who want a vaccine can access one, the government is shifting its attention towards those who are hesitant to get vaccinated. The government is increasing its reliance on doctors, and the trust they’ve cultivated with their patients, to help reach those remaining unvaccinated Americans.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is increasing payment rates for COVID-19 monoclonal antibody infusion therapy.
Pfizer and BioNTech officially asked the FDA to authorize their COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents age 12-15. The vaccine is currently authorized for people 16 and older. On May 10, the FDA issued approval to include this new age group, making the Pfizer vaccine available for anyone 12 and older.
NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said face masks could become seasonal.
The CDC is expected to release guidance on how to manage long-term effects of COVID-19.
The AMA published new CPT codes for the Novavax vaccine.
Novavax is planning to begin shipping doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX global vaccine distribution program in the third quarter of this year.