Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

11 INFECTION CONTROL 8 ways to boost vaccination rates amid the pandemic By Mackenzie Bean T CDC is calling on clinicians to help boost U.S. vaccination rates for flu and other diseases, which have dropped during the pandemic, according to the American Medical Association. CDC Director Robert Redfield, MD, and Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the agency's National Center for Immuniza- tion and Respiratory Diseases, in July sent a letter to clinicians nationwide, encouraging them to start planning how they will distribute flu vaccines this fall. Eight ways physicians can help boost vaccination rates, as cited by the CDC and AMA: 1. Review updated influenza vaccine recommendations and identify strategies to improve vaccine coverage, especially among those at high risk for complications. 2. Help support parents' vaccine decisions by sharing resources from the CDC's Vaccinate with Confidence framework. 3. Review resources on how to have effective vaccine conversa- tions with parents and create a culture of immunization in the practice setting. 4. Read and share the CDC's interim guidance for immuniza- tion services during the COVID-19 pandemic. 5. Use social media outreach materials to educate parents about the importance of vaccines. 6. Inform parents about the CDC's Vaccines for Children pro- gram, which helps families in need access vaccines at no cost. 7. Review patients' vaccination history during telehealth visits and encourage them to get a flu shot this fall. 8. Implement drive-thru flu clinics, similar to those being used for COVID-19 testing. n COVID-19 antibodies may only last 2 months, small study suggests By Mackenzie Bean A ntibody levels may start to decrease two to three months after a COVID-19 infection, especially in asymptomatic patients, a study published in Nature Medicine found. Researchers examined antibody response in 37 Chinese patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 but did not have symptoms. Researchers compared their antibody response to that of 37 symptomatic patients. Within eight weeks of hospitalization, 81 percent of as- ymptomatic patients had decreased antibody levels, com- pared to just 62 percent of symptomatic patients. Within this time period, antibody levels fell to undetectable levels in 40 percent of asymptomatic patients and 12.9 percent of symptomatic patients. The findings suggest asymptomatic patients may have a weaker immune response to the virus, researchers said. While the study is limited by its small sample size, it could complicate the idea of giving "immunity certificates" to people who've recovered from COVID-19, reported The New York Times. n Hugging during a pandemic: 10 do's and don'ts By Mackenzie Bean T he risk of COVID-19 exposure from a brief hug is low, but there are still strategies Americans can use to pro- tect themselves when embracing loved ones, scientists told The New York Times. Even if you hugged a person who didn't know they had COVID-19 and even if that person coughed, research shows the risk of exposure is still surprisingly low, according to Linsey Marr, PhD, an aerosol scientist at Blacksburg-based Virginia Tech and leading expert in airborne disease transmission. That being said, avoiding hugs is always the safest course of action, as there is large variability in how much virus each per- son may shed. But if you do need a hug during the pandemic, there are precautions you can take. Dr. Marr and other scien- tists shared the following tips on hugging with NYT: Don't: • Hug face-to-face or with your heads facing the same direc- tions • Cry (this helps limit the risk of contact with bodily fluids that may contain the virus) • Talk or cough when hugging • Touch the other person's body or clothes with your face or mask • Hug someone who is displaying respiratory symptoms Do: • Wear a mask • Turn your heads in opposite directions • Hug outside • Embrace briefly and then quickly back away • Wash your hands after n

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