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Added on the 05/12/2020 13:11:24 - Copyright : Wochit
14 (UPI) -- The incoming Biden administration's plan to release more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine won't cause supply shortages, Dr. Celine Gounder, a member of the newly created COVID-19 advisory board said Thursday. Two COVID-19 vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have been approved for use in the United States, and both require two doses for maximum effectiveness. Through Thursday, nearly 30 million doses of the two vaccines had been distributed across the country, but fewer than 11 million have been administered, based on estimates from the U.S.
Starting in two weeks, states with the speediest vaccine rollouts will be prioritized. The prioritization will be for additional doses, US officials announced Tuesday. The new system is meant to incentivize states to promptly record vaccinations. It will also prevent doses from sitting in freezers, says Business Insider. But it could also punish states that lack the funding or resources to accelerate vaccine administration. The strategy is set to take effect after President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
On Friday, the incoming Biden administration detailed a new plan to make as many vaccine doses available as possible to the public. They plan to release all doses held in storage, breaking from the current strategy of stockpiling some of the available supply to ensure that people can get their second doses. Though the… Read more...
UPI reports new research shows it's a very good idea to insist that healthcare workers get an annual flu shot. That's according to researchers from the University of Georgia, Montana State University and Monash University in Australia. They found that states with mandatory flu shots for hospital workers saw statewide reductions in deaths from influenza and pneumonia. They estimate that during the 2016-17 season alone, nearly 2,000 deaths were averted in the 15 U.S. states that had mandatory vaccination laws at that time. The findings suggest that health-worker vaccination laws may be a good way to protect the country's most vulnerable populations. The researchers say it's possible that similar benefits could also be seen with mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of hospital workers.