A pharmacist-led community-based survey study: Determining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on actionable factors associated with worse cancer outcomes and cancer health disparities.

Purpose: The goals of this cross-sectional community-based survey study were to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on actionable factors which are known to contribute to worse cancer outcomes, and to determine whether race and ethnicity-based differences exist. Methods: A survey study which captured demographic information and changes in cancer outcomes-related factors since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, was conducted at a public Covid-19 vaccination clinic over a period of 10 days during March 2021. Surveys were administered in multiple languages. Chi-square tests and ANOVA followed by post-hoc Dunnett testing assessed for race and ethnicity-based differences. Results: A total of 949 people participated (61.6% participation rate). Ninety-three surveys were removed based on inclusion criteria giving a final participant number of 856. Many participants reported postponing cancer screenings (17.8%) and cancellation of medical appointments (22.8% and 25.8% reported cancelled appointments by providers or themselves, respectively) due to the pandemic. Participants also reported decreased physical activity (44.7%) and increased tobacco and/or marijuana usage (7.0%). Conversely, participants reported consuming more fruits and vegetables (21.4%) and decreasing alcohol consumption (21.4%). Several race-related differences but no ethnicity-related differences were observed. Conclusion: Our data can be used to help guide pharmacist-led targeted outreach in our community which will help mitigate Covid-19 pandemic-driven changes in behaviors associated with worse cancer outcomes and exacerbation of cancer health disparities. To our knowledge, this is the first cancer outcomes-related study to be conducted at a public Covid-19 vaccination site and is the first pharmacist-led study in this area.

Systematic Review: Safety and Efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Pregnant Women.

Since pregnant women were excluded from clinical trials for vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is limited data on the safety and efficacy of vaccines in this population. This systematic review explored the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines in pregnant women. A literature search was performed using Ovid databases through November 2021 for all studies evaluated efficacy and safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women. A total of five studies including 42,782 women were included in the systematic review. Humoral immunity to COVID-19 was detected in pregnant women who received the vaccine and no differences found in spike-specific T-cell responses. Incidence of high-grade chronic villitis is higher in the unvaccinated group with adjusted odds ratio of .31 (.1-.97), P < .05. Vaccination in pregnant women resulted in 12.6% spontaneous abortions (SAB) with 92.3% occurring in the first trimester, .1% stillbirth (>20 weeks gestation), 9.4% preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation), and 2.2% congenital abnormalities. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are immunogenic in pregnant women and no obvious safety concerns observed. There is no increased incidence of adverse reactions in pregnant women. Our finding supports that pregnant women should receive the vaccination at their earliest convenience regardless of trimester.

The Race for COVID-19 Vaccines: The Various Types and Their Strengths and Weaknesses.

SARS-CoV-2 causes the highly contagious coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019. As of August 21, 2021, over 211 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 4.42 million people have died from the disease worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected world economies, global public health infrastructure, and social behaviors. Despite physical distancing and the advent of symptomatic and monoclonal antibody therapies, perhaps the most effective method to combat COVID-19 remains the creation of immunity through vaccines. Scientific communities globally have been diligently working to develop vaccines since the start of the pandemic. Though a few have been authorized for use, the Pfizer vaccine was the first to be given full approval in the United States in August 2021 - being the quickest vaccine to ever be developed. Although several vaccines produced via different approaches are in use, no mortality has been reported thus far from vaccine use. Here, we highlight the latest advances in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, specifically the lead candidates that are in late-stage clinical trials or authorized for emergency use. As SARS-CoV-2 uses its spike protein to enter a host cell and cause infection, most vaccine candidates target this protein. This review describes the various COVID-19 vaccines - authorized and/or under development - and their composition, advantages, and potential limitations as the world continues to fight this devastating pandemic.

COVID-19-Driven Improvements and Innovations in Pharmacy Education: A Scoping Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many colleges of pharmacy having to make major changes relating to their infrastructure and delivery of their curriculum within a very short time frame, including the transition of many components to an online setting. This scoping review sought to summarize what is known about the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy education and the effectiveness of adaptation strategies which were put in place. PubMed, Web of Science, OVID Medline, and MedEdPortal were searched to identify pharmacy education-related articles published since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. For article inclusion, the following criteria had to be met: described original research, related directly to PharmD or PharmBS education, related to the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy education, and was available in English. Out of a total of 813 articles, 50 primary research articles were selected for inclusion. Our review of these identified four domains relating to the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy education and/or effectiveness of adaptation strategies: (1) lab-based courses and activities (including interprofessional education activities), (2) experiential education, (3) didactic education, and (4) student well-being. The key research findings are summarized and discussed. While the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly brought many challenges to pharmacy education, it has also led to key improvements and innovations.