Kat Jercich

The technology is aimed at creating a complete picture of patient health by using clinical, social and population data.  

The state enacted a law in January requiring physicians – rather than healthcare clinic staff – to be present when a patient takes abortion-inducing medication.

Experts caution that the speed and scope of mobile COVID-19 vaccination efforts in ad hoc settings could present cybercriminals with new opportunities for data theft.

The technology could be useful in the near future when presenting proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The international platform is aimed at advancing and accelerating the transformation of healthcare supply chains through knowledge dissemination. 

Still, nearly nine in 10 respondents to a global survey said they expect their companies to grow in 2021.

The pandemic has made it clear that public health data must be accessible and supported across systems. But the question remains: How?

Built on Salesforce's Vaccine Cloud, the Vaccine Edge tool is aimed at improving the vaccination signup process when high demand tests website capacity.

National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi said in a keynote for the agency's annual meeting that COVID-19 continues to be the main focus for the near future.

The World Health Organization on Friday issued a warning about counterfeit and stolen COVID-19 vaccines being sold on the dark web.   Fake vaccination certificates are also being sold, as well as fake negative tests, aimed at those traveling abroad.   The WHO is "aware of vaccines being diverted and reintroduced into the supply chain, with no guarantee that [the] cold chain has been maintained," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press conference.   WHY IT MATTERS   Spiking demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has met inconsistent availability, with scams emerging as a seemingly inevitable result.     The WHO said several ministries of health and regulatory agencies around the world had received suspicious offers to supply vaccines, along with reports of "criminal groups" reusing empty vaccine vials. "We urge the secure disposal or destruction of used and empty vaccine vials to prevent them from being reused by criminal groups," said Ghebreyesus. According to the BBC, doses of AstraZeneca, Sputnik, Sinipharm and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are being offered for prices between $500 and $750 on the dark web.   Researchers at the cybersecurity company Check Point say they've seen a tripling in vaccine advertisements since January, with some sellers offering next-day delivery.   Other forums are advertising fake negative COVID-19 tests and forged vaccination cards for $150.   The WHO on Friday also alerted the public to a falsified vaccine detected in Mexico in February, which had been administered to patients outside of authorized vaccination programs.   "Falsified COVID-19 vaccines pose a serious risk to global public health and place an additional burden on vulnerable populations and health systems. It is important to identify and remove these from circulation," said the agency in a statement.   THE LARGER TREND Experts have warned about the security risks engendered by the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, including issues with the distribution pipeline and increased phishing dangers.   Last month, Invistics founder and CEO Tom Knight told Healthcare IT News that many instances of drug diversion are never detected, with a lack of oversight contributing to ease of potential theft.   "The fragmented controls are definitely a challenge and will lead to more diversion," said Knight.   ON THE RECORD   "We urge all people not to buy vaccines outside government-run vaccination programs," said Ghebreyesus. "Any vaccine outside these programs may be substandard or falsified, with the potential to cause serious harm."   Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News. Twitter: @kjercich Email: kjercich@himss.org Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.