Editor's Note In an October 26 news release, ECRI announced the publication of a Position Statement on “COVID-19 Vaccines: Mitigating Disease and Promoting Global Health Equity.” Speaking in support of the Statement, Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer, ECRI, says: “Despite the FDA and CDC’s advancement of…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, finds that a high-risk allergy history was associated with a 2.5-fold higher risk of allergic reactions after mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations. However, most of the allergy symptoms did not hold up completion…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, on October 21, endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation for a booster of COVID-19 vaccines in certain populations. For individuals who received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, the following are eligible…

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  Editor's Note This Israeli study finds that in healthcare workers (HCWs) vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine who had breakthrough infections, the suspected source was an unvaccinated person. Among 11,453 fully vaccinated HCWs, 1,497 had RT-PCR testing during the study period. Of the tested HCWs, 39 breakthrough cases were found.…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, identifies three themes centered on trust and addressing barriers to COVID-19 vaccine access in Black and Latinx communities in the US. The study involved 72 participants—56 women, 16 men, 36 Black, 28 Latinx, and 8…

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Editor's Note This survey of high-risk healthcare workers (HCWs) at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego County finds a relatively small proportion who were seropositive for COVID-19. Of 1,770 participants, 39 (2.2%) had a positive antibody test. Among 22 who reported a history of presumptive or confirmed COVID-19, 14 were antibody…

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Editor's Note This study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that the percentage of US adults with anxiety and depression symptoms increased nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic (August 19, 2020 to June 7, 2021). Using US Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey (HPS) data, the CDC found that…

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Editor's Note Mercer’s 2021 External Healthcare Labor Market Analysis finds a shortage of healthcare workers (HCWs) over the next 5 to 10 years as the US continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The main findings of the study are: There will be a labor shortage at the low end…

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Editor's Note This study from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and University of Washington finds that more physical activity and less screen time were associated with better mental health for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted from October 22 to November 2, 2020, of 547 parents of…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, find that more healthcare workers (HCWs) were exposed to COVID-19 by coworkers than patients, and lapses in infection prevention practices increased transmission risk. Between June and December 2020, 2,357 HCWs were involved in occupational…

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