CVS completes first vaccination round at 8,000 US nursing homes
A CVS pharmacy manager is preparing a dose of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on December 29, 2020.
Hoang ‘Leon’ Nguyen | The Republican | Swimming Pool | via Reuters
CVS Health has completed the first round of Covid-19 vaccination at approximately 8,000 U.S. nursing homes, Reuters reported.
Administration of second doses was ongoing and was expected to be completed within four weeks.
CVS Pharmacy has administered nearly 2 million doses to date, but has a capacity of 20 to 25 million shots per month, the company told Reuters, adding that the vaccination effort for long-term care is still underway.
–Terri Cullen
The US does not know how much Covid vaccine it contains, says CDC chief
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Sunday that the federal government did not know how much coronavirus vaccine was available for the country, adding another complication to the new government’s efforts to ease the crisis. reported Amanda Macias, CNBC. .
“I can not tell you how much vaccine we have, and if I can not tell you, I can not tell the governors, nor can I tell the state health officials,” said Dr. CDC director, dr. Rochelle Walensky told Fox News Sunday.
“If not only this week, but also next week and the week after that they do not know how much vaccine they are getting, they can not figure out how many sites they need to roll out, they can not find out how many vaccinations they need, and they can not determining how many appointments should be made for the public, ‘Walensky said.
President Joe Biden has targeted the country to administer 100 million vaccines in the first 100 days of the president.
–Fred Imbert
Merck terminates its Covid vaccination program, citing inferior immune responses
A Merck sign in front of the company building in Summit, New Jersey.
Getty Images
Merck has said the development of its two Covid-19 vaccines is coming to an end, Reuters reports.
In early trials, two of the company’s vaccines generated immune responses that were inferior to those seen in people recovering from Covid-19, as well as those reported for other Covid-19 vaccines, according to Reuters.
The drugmaker said it plans to focus its pandemic research on treatments, with the initial efficacy data on an experimental oral antiviral drug expected by the end of March, the wire service said.
–Terri Cullen
Google to open vaccines at its US offices
The US multinational technology company Google logo is seen at Googleplex, the headquarters complex of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc.
Alex Tai | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images
Google will make available some of its own facilities to launch new coronavirus vaccination sites in the US
The company said it has partnered with health clinic chain One Medical and public health authorities to open vaccines in Los Angeles; San Francisco; Kirkland, Washington; and the city of New York. The technology giant also plans to open vaccination centers abroad.
Google has also allocated $ 100 million in advertising grants to the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and non-profit organizations, as well as a $ 50 million investment aimed at helping public health agencies reach inferior communities with vaccination information.
Google said it will begin vaccinating Covid-19 in Google Search and Maps in the coming weeks, with Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The information contains details, such as whether an appointment or referral is required and whether the location has a transit route.
—Ryan Browne