As the first COVID-19 vaccines roll out, an increasing number of Americans are saying they want to get vaccinated. While many had expressed concern over the past year about the fast pace of development, potential political ploys, and other theories, the shift from a hypothetical vaccine to real ones has seen a shift in attitudes as well.

On Friday, FDA granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to a second COVID-19 vaccine—Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which is indicated for individuals ages 18 years and older. 

MAJ Joseph Remesz-Guerrette, PharmD, U.S. Army, has had plenty of experience in the storage and handling of pharmaceuticals over his decade or so in pharmacy. When he joined Operation Warp Speed (OWS) as a medical planner, that know-how was a tremendous asset. “I didn't have to be brought up to speed on how to properly handle these vaccines,” he said. That has been a crucial part of a massive undertaking.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on December 11, a worldwide group of researchers showed that adding baricitinib, an orally administered, selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 1 and 2, to remdesivir can reduce recovery time and accelerate improvement in clinical status among patients with COVID-19. FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the dual treatment on November 19.

Former U.S. Representative and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra—President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—is a friend to pharmacy, said California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) CEO Susan Bonilla. “CPhA has had a good working relationship with the California Department of Justice, of which he was the Attorney General,” she said. “More broadly, because he very publicly supported health care access and affordability when he was serving in Congress, I believe that he will prove to be a strong ally for pharmacists.”