Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, December 2020 is the December 13, 2020 early release of CDC’s MMWR.

• The FDA issued a Press Release Friday, December 11, 2020.  “The FDA’s authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “Today’s action follows an open and transparent review process that included input from independent scientific and public health experts and a thorough evaluation by the agency’s career scientists to ensure this vaccine met FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization. The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel, serious, and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its emergence is a true testament to scientific innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide.”  December 11, 2020 is truly a momentous, historical day for the United States and the world!

• COVID-19 FAQs on Medicare Fee-for-Service Billing was updated December 8, 2020.  The updates are found on pages 120 through 133 of the 165-page document in the section entitled BB. Drugs & Vaccines under Part B, Questions #5 through #22 (some of these FAQs are new). Additionally, there are updates on page 135 (Question #4) beneath CC. National Coverage Determinations (NCD).  Lastly, 5 new FAQ beneath QQ. Indian Health Service (IHS) Hospitals on pages 164 and 165.

• On December 7, 2020, HHS released COVID-19 Hospital Facility-Level Data.