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What We’re Reading: Pfizer/BioNTech Update Vaccine Data; Biden Announces $4 Billion Pledge; Medicare Reduces Hospital Payments
The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine can be stored at higher temperatures; the Biden administration pledges $4 billion over 2 years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; Medicare payments will soon decrease for hundreds of hospitals.
Pfizer/BioNTech Release New Vaccine Data
New coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine storage and effectiveness data from Sheba Medical Center in Israel show that the first dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine is 85% effective 15 to 28 days after it is given, reports The Wall Street Journal. Transportation and storage at temperatures of –25°C (–13°F) to –15°C (5°F), vs the current –80°C (–112°F) to –60°C (–76°F), are also possible according to the real-world data. These findings could enable more to get an initial dose of the vaccine, as the results “provide strong arguments in favor of delaying the second dose of the 2-shot vaccine,” the authors note. Close to 9000 individuals were covered in this study, in which the first dose also resulted in 75% reductions in symptomatic and asymptomatic infections.
Biden Pledges Billions for COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts
Up to $4 billion in funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, could be possible through a new push from President Joe Biden and his administration, according to The Washington Post. This money would provide some much-needed aid to COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, which has yet to begin vaccine delivery. An initial $2 billion would be released first, followed by another $2 billion over 2 years, pending pledge follow-through from other potential donors. The World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations are Gavi’s partners in this effort to ensure equitable vaccine distribution to low- and middle-income countries.
Penalized Hospitals to Get Lower Medicare Payments
High patient infection rates and avoidable medical complications from mid-2017 through 2019 have spurred the government’s move to reduce Medicare payments to 774 hospitals, says Kaiser Health News. The 1% reduction, as part of a program instituted by the Affordable Care Act, will be implemented over 12 months and is not related to the ongoing pandemic. Controversy has plagued the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program since its inception, with hospitals claiming penalties are arbitrary and the American Hospital Association saying the hard-and-fast rule of punishing 25% of general-care hospitals each year is a flawed measure.
House lawmakers are expected to advance a contracting ban today on 5 Chinese research firms; US government officials temporarily relaxed strict guidelines on how laboratories handle, store, and transport H5N1 bird flu samples; a recent report found that the number of abortions occurring in the US continued to grow despite bans.
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Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
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A new study highlights significant disparity in reimbursement rates across states between hospitals and Medicare; the first patient to receive a genetically modified pig kidney has died; research examines outcomes of over 500 patients receiving medication abortion pills by mail.
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Emergency Department Risk Model: Timely Identification of Patients for Outpatient Care Coordination
May 14th 2024The authors created a machine learning–based model to identify patients with major depressive disorder in the primary care setting at high risk of frequent emergency department visits, enabling prioritization for a care coordination program.
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