MJH COVID-19 Coalition Provides Perspectives on Vaccine Rollout, Double Masking

Members of the MJH Life Sciences™ COVID-19 Coalition recently weighed in on the latest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic news.

Our experts were polled on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, double masking, President Biden’s vaccine administration goal, and hopes for COVID 1 year from now.

As of February 18, 2021, more than 57 million Americans have received doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.¹ However, many have criticized the rollout of the vaccines. On a scale of 1 to 10, Coalition members rated the current status of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout an average of 4.75.

Last month, the Biden administration announced efforts to boost COVID-19 vaccinations through its comprehensive National Action Strategy, which aims to administer 100 million vaccines in 100 days.

When asked about Biden’s strategy, 88.89% of Coalition members responded that they believe this goal to be attainable.

More recently, reports have emerged that double masking may increase protection against the virus. The CDC recently released a study that suggested layering a cloth mask over a disposable medical procedure mask can boost protection by ensuring a tighter fit against your face.² The study results overall placed an emphasis on proper fitting of masks to maximize protection.² However, the agency does not recommend combining 2 disposable masks or combining a KN95 mask with any other mask.³

When polled, 87.5% of our experts said they would not recommend double masking as a preventive measure.

Moreover, the majority (75%) of members reported concerns about vaccine hesitancy among health care providers when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine uptake and acceptance among health providers is critical to reassuring the public about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines.

Coalition members also provided perspective on how to remedy issues concerning racial inequalities in vaccine administration. Responses included efforts to establish community-based vaccine sites, a task force formation that involves local leaders in underserved communities, and focusing more on equity of vaccine administration rather than number of doses administered.

The MJH Life Sciences COVID-19 Coalition is a partnership with 10 nationally recognized experts in infectious disease, public health, epidemiology, and virology, who work to generate the most accurate, up-to-the-minute information on the pandemic's ever-evolving impact on health care professionals and the patients they treat through live, biweekly webinar events, white papers, and surveys.

The next COVID-19 Coalition event, “Legal and Ethical Considerations of COVID-19 Vaccination,” will be held February 24, 2021, at 6PM ET. Register here.

References

1. CDC. COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States. Last updated February 18, 2021. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

2. Brooks JT, Beezhold DH, Noti JD, et al. Maximizing fit for cloth and medical procedure masks to improve performance and reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and exposure, 2021. Morbidity andMortality Weekly Report. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7007e1

3. CDC. Improve How Your Mask Protects You. Last updated February 13, 2021. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/effective-masks.html