Editor's Note Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) President Connie Steed, MSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, on December 16, issued a statement urging healthcare workers and the public to get vaccinated with the COVI-19 vaccines when they are available. APIC supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…

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Editor's Note The first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech's newly authorized COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use reached 141 of 145 targeted locations on the first day of its national rollout, a Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman told Reuters. Four island territories—American Samoa, Guam, North Mariana Islands, and the US…

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Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on December 11 that it would purchase 100 million additional doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine, which was developed by Moderna with scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is scheduled for a December…

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The latest surge of COVID-19 cases has put many hospitals in a precarious position, with shortages of staff, space, and supplies. Lessons learned earlier in the pandemic cannot necessarily shore up systems that have been overwhelmed with patients. Throughout most of 2020, some patients postponed medical or surgical care. When…

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Editor's Note After the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on December 11, the company began shipping 2.9 million doses to 636 sites throughout the US. (https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-key-action-fight-against-covid-19-issuing-emergency-use-authorization-first-covid-19). On December 14, the first dose of the vaccine was administered at 9:23 am to an…

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Editor's Note Gen Gustave Perna, who oversees logistics for Operation Warp Speed, announced December 8 that the government is prepared to distribute 2.9 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this week or immediately after the vaccine receives emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on December 8, released documents that confirmed the safety and efficacy of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, the Associated Press reports. The vaccine was co-developed with BioNTech. FDA regulators posted their analysis online, as the UK began administering doses of the vaccine to its…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that implementing and monitoring adherence to recommended COVID-19 mitigation strategies can reduce the risk for transmission in child care settings. In collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on December 2 released its 2021 final payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). CMS has finalized the addition of 11 procedures to the ASC covered procedures list, including total hip arthroplasty, autochondrocyte knee implant, and open complex…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on December 2 changed its recommended quarantine period for people who have come in contact with COVID-19 positive individuals. Instead of the standard 14 days, the CDC now allows individuals who have come in contact with someone infected with the…

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