- The FDA’s pandemic recovery and preparedness plan strengthens ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and our resiliency for future public health emergencies.
- CDC updated its:
- resource page on COVID-19 vaccines. This page includes benefits of getting vaccinated, information on the different vaccines, and additional information which has been translated in multiple languages.
- resource page and FAQs on all things COVID-19.
- data table of variant cases in the U.S. The cases identified above are based on a sampling of SARS-CoV-2-positive specimens and do not represent the total number of B.1.1.7 lineage cases that may be circulating in the United States and may not match numbers reported by states, territories, tribes, and local officials.
- CDC released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on Allergic Reactions Including Anaphylaxis After Receipt of the First Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. During December 14–23, 2020, monitoring by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System detected 21 cases of anaphylaxis after administration of a reported 1,893,360 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (11.1 cases per million doses); 71% of these occurred within 15 minutes of vaccination.
White House and Federal Agencies
- At noon on Wednesday, January 20, President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated as President of the United States.
- It could take a few weeks before some of his key cabinet nominees are confirmed by the Senate. Senior career agency officials will lead each agency in an acting capacity until his nominees are confirmed.
- President-elect Biden announced a new COVID-19 stimulus and response plan. Some of his plan can be implemented with his executive authority but much of it would need to be passed by Congress
- An emphasis of his plan is a national vaccination effort to supplement existing state vaccination efforts. The addition of federal vaccine sites run by the Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) or the National Guard will help increase vaccination rates.
- It also includes additional funding for schools to reopen and an additional $1,400 to individual taxpayers. This payment, combined with the $600 from the recently passed stimulus bill, would result in individuals receiving $2,000.
- President-elect Biden asked all Americans to wear a mask in public for his first 100 days in office.
- He also hopes to vaccinate 100 million Americans within 100 days. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci believes this is possible.
- Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner David Kessler will lead the White House Operation Warp Speed vaccine development and distribution initiative under the Biden Administration. The Biden Administration also plans to stop referring to this initiative as “Operation Warp Speed.”
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated their resource page for treatment options for high risk COVID positive patients. If you are high-risk and have tested positive for COVID-19 and have mild or moderate symptoms, you may still be at risk for developing severe COVID-19.
- HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) anticipates funding for an initiative to demonstrate the effectiveness of local “grassroots” efforts to improve the access, use and outcomes of vaccination, testing, contact tracing and health behaviors related to COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority populations, including those in rural communities. For more information, go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html and enter MP-CPI-21-006 in the field for the opportunity number.
- The FDA’s pandemic recovery and preparedness plan strengthens ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and our resiliency for future public health emergencies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
- CDC updated its:
- resource page on COVID-19 vaccines. This page includes benefits of getting vaccinated, information on the different vaccines, and additional information which has been translated in multiple languages.
- resource page and FAQs on all things COVID-19.
- resource page with public services announcements (PSA) related to COVID-19. These PSAs range from general information, travel, and people who need to take extra precautions.
- data table of variant cases in the U.S. The cases identified above are based on a sampling of SARS-CoV-2-positive specimens and do not represent the total number of B.1.1.7 lineage cases that may be circulating in the United States and may not match numbers reported by states, territories, tribes, and local officials.
- resources for the celebrating holidays in a safe way. Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.
- CDC released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on Allergic Reactions Including Anaphylaxis After Receipt of the First Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. During December 14–23, 2020, monitoring by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System detected 21 cases of anaphylaxis after administration of a reported 1,893,360 first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (11.1 cases per million doses); 71% of these occurred within 15 minutes of vaccination.
- Locations administering COVID-19 vaccines should adhere to CDC guidance for use of COVID-19 vaccines, including screening recipients for contraindications and precautions, having the necessary supplies available to manage anaphylaxis, implementing the recommended post-vaccination observation periods, and immediately treating suspected cases of anaphylaxis with intramuscular injection of epinephrine.
