Introducing: GoLocal Daily Rhode Island Vaccination Update
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Starting today and each day until the pandemic is over, GoLocal will provide the most up-to-date information and data on the Rhode Island vaccination program as well as emerging national and global data.
Starting in January of 2020, GoLocal began covering the coronavirus, tapping experts from Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School to experts around the world.
Since early March, Dr. Michael Fine, the former Rhode Island Director of Health, has appeared each weekday on GoLocal LIVE.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn addition, GoLocal has published more than 1,000 reports unveiling the impact of the virus on pubic health, the economy and nearly every aspect of life.
Now, we expand our coverage with daily reports on the science of the vaccines, and the rollout.
Here are critical updates:
1) Johnson and Johnson's 1-Shot Vaccine Shows Promise
Johnson and Johnson's vaccine now in clinical review reports better than a 90% immune response in those receiving the vaccine in Phase 1 and 2 trials. The single dose benefit of course would dramatically increase the speed in which populations could reach herd immunity.
New England Journal of Medicine published on Wednesday, "The safety and immunogenicity profiles of Ad26.COV2.S support further development of this vaccine candidate. (Funded by Johnson & Johnson and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services; COV1001."
Reported side effects include headaches, body aches and more rarely fever.
Phase 3 Trials are expected to be completed in February. Then, if successful, the FDA could consider an emergency use authorization shortly thereafter.
2) Dr. Alexander-Scott Repeatedly Refused to Answer Legislator's Questions About Wasted Vaccine
Appearing before the House of Representatives Task Force for COVID-19 on Wednesday, RI Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott would not disclose how many doses of vaccine have been wasted in Rhode Island. Legislators repeatedly pressed her on the total numbers and she repeatedly refused to respond.
3) Snowbirds and Foreigners in Florida
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Florida vaccine distribution system has many holes.
"Visitors from Toronto to New York to Buenos Aires have long flocked to Florida for sun, surf and shopping. Now they are coming for the Covid-19 vaccine. Some of the arrivals are Americans or foreigners who own second homes in the state and reside here part-time. Others are making short-term visits, seizing the opportunity provided by Florida’s decision to make the vaccine available to people age 65 and older, including nonresidents. The practice, which some are calling vaccine tourism, has drawn fire from some officials and residents," reports WSJ.
4) While Many Countries Are Vaccinating 7-Days a Week, Including Holidays, RI is Shutting Down
State officials announced all state-operated COVID-19 test sites will be closed on Monday, MLKDay. Regular hours of testing will resume on Tuesday, January 19.
5) RI Has Used Just Over 50% of Vaccine It Has Received, According to CDC
According to CDC data on Monday, Rhode Island has received 82,175 vaccine doses and has administered 42,028.
6) URI College of Pharmacy Is Training People to Vaccinate
University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy faculty and staff members continue their efforts to hasten the end of the deadly pandemic, training pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to administer the vaccine.
Under new COVID health regulations, pharmacy technicians are allowed to administer the vaccine, necessitating training for those who hadn’t previously vaccinated. They join pharmacists, who were granted the right to vaccinate in Rhode Island about 10 years ago. Mary-Jane Kanaczet, director of the College’s Office of Continuing Professional Development for the Health Professions, received a license from the American Pharmacists Association to provide the training, and taught 33 pharmacy techs and 29 pharmacists recently, including Paul Larrat, dean of the College of Pharmacy.
“There were primarily pharmacy technicians in the training, but we also had a handful of pharmacists trained,” Larrat said. “This is in addition to the hundreds of students who we’ve trained in recent years to administer vaccines. They get certified early on — in their second professional year — and they’re able to begin administering vaccines in pharmacies, under the supervision of a pharmacist.”
The two-part program emphasizes a healthcare team collaboration between pharmacists and technicians, which aims to improve population health by increasing immunization rates in states that allow technicians to immunize.
Composed of an online self-study component combined with a live seminar that teaches hands-on immunization techniques, the program offers six hours of continuing education for technicians and pharmacists.
Watch Dr. Michael Fine each weekday on GoLocal LIVE at 1:30 PM with updates on the coronavirus.
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