As the vaccine rollout continues, COVID-19 variants that may be more transmissible have become increasingly common across the globe and have already been found in California. The race is on; now, we move to stem the tide of this deadly virus before it becomes resistant to current vaccines.

The next installment of our COVID-19 Virtual Grand Rounds will focus on strategies for turning a corner on COVID-19, including vaccine rollout, virus variants and Vaccine Hesitancy. The 90-minute webinar will be Tuesday, February 9, 2021, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.

Join us to hear from California state experts who will update us on the status of vaccine rollout and the latest epidemiology of the virus and its variants. Experts will also present tips and practical strategies for addressing vaccine hesitancy in health care providers and others.

This webinar is part of a monthly Virtual Grand Rounds series on the evolution of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and management of COVID-19 patients, hosted by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) and the California Medical Association (CMA), in partnership with the California Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA) and Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California (OPSC).

These monthly case-based presentations include expert panel discussions and audience participation. This webinar will be moderated by Kimberly Newell Green, M.D., immediate past president of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society (SFMMS) and associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

The grand rounds webinars are free and open to all interested clinicians. Participants can receive 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM.

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, they will be available for on-demand playback at covidroundsca.org.

As a result of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe several COVID-19 variants, how they have evolved and their potential clinical impacts.
• Understand the current epidemiology of COVID-19 in the state of California and continue to advise patients and community members on the importance of maintaining vigilance and continuing to follow disease mitigation strategies.
• Know the status of the vaccine rollout in California and be able to use state resources to route staff, patients and community members to up-to-date information on vaccine availability and logistics.
• Use best-practice communication techniques to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with healthcare providers, staff, patients and community members who may be vaccine-hesitant.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the California Medical Association (CMA) and California Health and Human Services Agency.  CMA is accredited by ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The California Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.