COVID Vaccine Update 4

With the February 27, 2021 Emergency Use Authorization of the Janssen Biotech Inc. (a Jannsen Pharmaceutical Company of Johnson & Johnson) Covid-19 Vaccine and President Biden talking about the possibility of getting "together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout and a barbecue (to) celebrate Independence Day", there are many reasons to be optimistic these days. However, the reality is that SARS-CoV-2 is still amongst us and we now have to contend with new variants of the virus that threaten all the hopes and dreams we all have when it comes to getting back to "normal life". With that said, it is vital that we continue to practice social distancing, mask-wearing, good hand-hygiene and to refrain from gathering in large groups so that we can finally get the upper hand over this virus. In this episode, we discuss not only the vaccine, but the new variants of the virus and why social distancing and other non-pharmaceutical interventions are still so important at this juncture in the pandemic. Please check out the resources below for more information and we sincerely hope that you learn from our program and that you share this information with anyone that will listen.  The New York Times: WHO Grants Emergency Authorization to the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine, a Boost for Global Vaccination Efforts https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/12/world/who-jj-vaccine.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Protect Yourself and Others https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html HUB✳️ (Johns Hopkins Magazine): What You Need to Know About the CDC's COVID-19 Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/03/10/cdc-covid-19-vaccination-guidance/