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When federal health officials frame unverified [Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System] reports as evidence of vaccine-caused deaths, it may become more difficult for health communicators to explain the system’s limitations and the vaccines’ extensive safety evidence.
A growing number of states, reaching 30 as of March, have announced that they are no longer following CDC recommendations as their benchmark for some or all childhood vaccines... The court’s stay does not change these states’ decisions and in some ways may allow them to avoid a potential ‘ping pong’ of federal vaccine policy that could result from future legal rulings or actions by the administration.
This policy watch describes recent Trump administration changes to Medicaid vaccine reporting requirements and explores what the end of state reporting requirements may mean for how the U.S. tracks childhood vaccinations rates.
In this Issue Brief we review and assess the COVAX Humanitarian Buffer mechanism, which is part of the effort to share Covid vaccines globally. The Buffer is intended to direct vaccines to vulnerable people like refugees and others facing humanitarian emergencies during the pandemic, and was supported by the US and many other donors and organizations. However, it faced many challenges such as liability and indemnification issues for using newly developed vaccines, restricted access to…
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared numerous types of emergencies, Congress enacted several pieces of legislation, and various executive actions were taken and waivers issued, which established time-limited flexibilities and provisions designed to protect individuals and the health system during the pandemic. This resource provides a timeline identifying key health-related flexibilities and provisions specified by these various measures, the specific measure that determines their end date, and their end date.
With planning beginning for an eventual COVID-19 vaccine, one important consideration is making sure that distribution processes and outreach and communication strategies reach people of color. Analysis of seasonal flu vaccination rates provides some insight into the potential barriers and issues to be addressed as part of COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
This brief examines key policy challenges and issues related to distributing a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., including funding, supply and logistics, federal, state, and local authorities, insurance coverage, addressing racial and ethnic disparities, and communication and trust.
In this op-ed for The Washington Post, Drew Altman suggests a way out of the heated debate about a COVID-19 vaccination passport to help provide clarity about who is vaccinated and who still ought to wear masks in public spaces or the workplace by using something that already exists-- CDC vaccination cards.
Updated Data on State Parental Consent Laws for COVID-19 Vaccination Available Here. With the recent authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents, ages 12-15, a group that totals almost 17 million, the next phase of the U.S. vaccination effort has begun. Authorization for even younger children is expected as early as the fall, and even before this point, Pfizer’s vaccine had been authorized for 16-17 year-olds. This has focused attention on the role of parents…
With news that the country has now vaccinated half of its population with at least one dose, This Drew Altman Axios column highlights the persistent COVID-19 vaccine myths that are believed by a substantial portion of the unvaccinated population and discusses the options to address vaccine misinformation.
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