Vaccine Tracker
According to the CDC, as of 4/27/2021, a total of 297 million doses have been delivered and 232 million doses have been administered. This accounts for; 29.1% of the total population, 37.3% of those over 18 years of age and 67.9% of those over 65 years of age being fully vaccinated.
Updated CDC Mask Guidelines
Excerpts from the newly updated CDC recommendations for fully vaccinated people. Fully vaccinated:
- People no longer need to wear a mask outdoors, except in certain crowded settings and venues
- Asymptomatic workers no longer need to be restricted from work following an exposure
- People can visit other fully vaccinated people indoors without masks or physical distancing
An individual is considered fully vaccinated ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series shot or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine.
Summer Camp During the Pandemic
On 4/24/2021, the CDC updated their recommendations for children attending summer camp. They include campers staying at least 3 feet apart from each other most of the time and 6 feet of social distancing for children while eating and drinking. Camp counselors and adults present should stay at least 6 feet away from each other and children. Summer camps should have most of their activities outdoors. If they do activities indoors, they should leave windows and doors open. The CDC is encouraging camp employees over the age of 16 to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Masks are still recommended for anyone who can wear one except when doing activities that preclude mask-wearing, such as eating and drinking or swimming. The full guidance includes other strategies that camp programs can use to maintain healthy operations, lower the risk of COVID-19 in their programs, prepare for when someone is sick, and support coping and resilience.
Vaccine Updates
Johnson & Johnson – The FDA and CDC lifted the pause on the J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine. CDC’s decision to lift the pause came following guidance from ACIP that said the benefits of the shot outweighed the risk of a rare blood clot. The vaccine label and fact sheets are being updated to reflect the risk.
Moderna – has entered into an agreement with Sanofi to help manufacture as many as 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the US. Sanofi will fill vials and finish packaging for Moderna at its facility in NJ.
Astra Zeneca – The US will release 60 million doses for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to other countries once it clears safety reviews by the FDA. The release will be over the next several months.
Novavax – The two dose vaccine candidate has shown in clinical studies to be more than 89% effective in protecting against COVID-19 in its UK clinical trial. Doses are given one month apart and the vaccine only requires basic refrigeration. The company states that it will soon apply for authorization in the United States.
MarkeTouch Media in the News
Amber Specialty Pharmacy and MarkeTouch Media Release a Special Report on the Strategic Implementation of SMS/text and Voice Notifications
Specialty pharmacy growth is outpacing traditional prescription medication growth encompassing nearly half of total US drug spend. The need for specialty pharmacies to develop a strategic communication plan for reaching, engaging, and managing patients has become an essential component for operational efficiency, clinical outcomes and customer satisfaction. Amber Specialty Pharmacy has partnered with Houston-based MarkeTouch Media to streamline their patient communication using automated, targeted, and responsive outbound notifications across a variety of services. This addition of using patient preferred communication has allowed Amber Specialty Pharmacy to provide more focus on their patients and spend less time managing routine tasks that were consuming valuable staff resources. Full results of the newly released whitepaper, “Five Immediate Benefits of Incorporating Specialty Pharmacy Focused Automated Outbound Patient Notifications” are available at the link below.
Adam Winstead of Amber, said: “Amber Specialty Pharmacy has always taken a strategic approach leveraging technology to allow us to better serve our patients. With MarkeTouch Media’s TouchPoint Management solution, we saw improvements in: patient adherence, patient experience and overall satisfaction. Furthermore, we have seen effective improvements in clinical outcomes and operational efficiencies. Our partnership with MarkeTouch has been a catalyst in creating a more focused approach to assisting our patients.”
Lyle Green, MarkeTouch Media’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, commented, “Amber Specialty Pharmacy was growing rapidly and needed solutions to assist in managing the administrative and operational tasks to streamline workflow and benefit their patients. We are thrilled with the results that Amber is achieving and they clearly demonstrate that TouchPoint Management is a valuable tool for all Specialty Pharmacies.” Amber Specialty Pharmacy and MarkeTouch Media continue to collaborate and develop additional services specifically tailored to meet the needs of Specialty pharmacy patients. To take a deep dive into the white paper’s findings, click below.
Five Immediate Benefits of Incorporating Specialty Pharmacy Focused Automated Outbound Patient Notifications
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