Research, news about COVID-19 vaccines, resources from ACP on flu vaccination

There were multiple recent developments in SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Positive results were published from a Russian trial by The Lancet on Sept. 4 and from an Australian trial by the New England Journal of Medicine on Sept. 2. On Sept. 9, AstraZeneca announced a voluntary pause of its vaccination trials to allow an independent committee to review a single unexplained illness that occurred in a phase 3 trial in the U.K. AstraZeneca announced on Sept. 12 that trials in the U.K. would resume after the country's Medicines Health Regulatory Authority said it was safe to do so; however, trials in other countries remain paused. On Sept. 8, nine pharmaceutical companies announced a pledge to only submit a vaccine for FDA approval or emergency use authorization after demonstration of safety and efficacy through a phase 3 study.

Given concerns that COVID-19 and flu season will collide to create havoc for patients, health care systems, and already stressed frontline clinicians, ACP has developed two new resources (part of its I Raise the Rates efforts to bolster immunization coverage) to support ACP members delivering recommended immunizations to patients:

• Workflows to Promote Immunizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• How to Safely Administer Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Topics include how to establish an immunization team, how to effectively incorporate telehealth to conduct vaccine counseling, communication strategies to make effective vaccine recommendations, and practical resources to safely administer vaccines in the time of a pandemic. These and other resources can be found within the Ambulatory Care Reopening and Recovery Resources section of COVID-19: An ACP Physician's Guide and Resources. For additional information on immunizations, visit ACP's Adult Immunization Hub.