December 1st, 2020
View Archives Issues
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COVID-19 Vaccine Imminent, but No Magic Bullet Expected
As the continuing global pandemic threatens to overwhelm the medical response, there are tempered expectations about an imminent SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to protect the battered healthcare workforce. The Food and Drug Administration is not expecting a magic bullet, saying it would accept a vaccine with 50% efficacy as long as they are confident it would be no lower than 30% effective.
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The Key Question About COVID-19 Vaccines: Are They Safe?
The sheer size of the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials will enhance prelicensure safety and efficacy evaluation. Many post-market evaluations are in development to bolster existing surveillance for adverse events.
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The Age of Misinformation and Vaccine Hesitancy
Within this broader disinformation is specific distrust of the vaccines under development for COVID-19. In addition, the messaging of doing something potentially dangerous at “warp speed,” along with media descriptions of a “race to a vaccine,” have made people nervous.
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Emergency Physicians Are Suffering as COVID-19 Resurges
A new survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians, conducted in October, revealed that 87% of emergency physicians say they are more stressed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, 72% report experiencing more professional burnout.
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Flu Deaths in Children, Vaccination Hesitancy
Although COVID-19 certainly has caused some infections and deaths in children, they generally have fared well against the virus compared to other age groups. Influenza, on the other hand, can cause severe disease in children.
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Is It Time for a Mask Mandate?
With COVID-19 surging nationally, there are increasing calls for a national mask mandate for the public. There appears to be sufficient evidence to support such a measure as we enter a winter of considerable discontent.