U.S. Pharmacist Vaccine Update

February 2021

Advice on Screening for Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Allergies
Pharmacists administering COVID-19 vaccines are fielding a lot of questions about risk of allergic reaction or even anaphylaxis. In a new article, allergists discuss the possible causes of adverse effects and the best way to screen for them. They also detail who should—and should not—avoid vaccination because of those risks. Here are more details.

Here’s How to Help Improve Shingles Vaccine Completion Rate
Not enough patients complete the two-dose series of the recombinant zoster vaccine, according to a new study that looked at which factors influenced completion. Researchers suggest that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals can play a role in improving the completion rate via better education, reminders, and taking advantage of vaccination opportunities. Here is more information.

Older Patients With IBD Need Vaccines to Mitigate Higher Pneumonia Risk
When it comes to risk of infections, many inflammatory bowel disease patients have a double whammy: They have immune-system impairment, and many of them are on immunosuppressive medications. Find out how much pneumococcal vaccination decreased the risk of pneumonia in the study cohort, which included older military veterans.

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