MDHHS COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Message for Partners

This message has been sent to the COVID-19 Vaccine Providers listserv.

 

Hello Michigan Immunizers, 

 

As winter quickly approaches, we are seeing an anticipated uptick in respiratory diseases. According to the latest data, unvaccinated people ages 12 years and older are 6.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19, compared to people vaccinated with a primary series and a booster dose. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) wants to ensure all Michiganders are protected against COVID-19 and its emerging variants.

COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are highly effective at preventing serious outcomes including severe disease, hospitalization and death. With the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines now available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reframed what it means to be up to date with COVID-19 vaccination. You are up-to-date if you have completed a primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by CDC.

In October, the CDC expanded vaccination coverage to include omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 for those 5 years and older who have completed their primary series and at least 2 months have passed since the last COVID-19 vaccination. Monovalent vaccine is still being recommended for the primary series for everyone 6 months and older. Review the current schedule for more information:  At-A-Glance COVID-19 Vaccination Schedules (cdc.gov) 

The COVID-19 vaccination schedule for those under the age of 5 remains the same. As for all vaccines, safety monitoring will continue for all ages for whom vaccines are recommended and authorized.

MDHHS strongly encourages your facility, if it hasn’t already, to integrate COVID-19 vaccination into routine care, including co-administration with the seasonal flu vaccination or to enroll as a COVID-19 provider(s) if you are able. If you have any questions regarding provider enrollment, please contact MDHHS-COVIDVaccineProviders@michigan.gov. 

For facilities unable to enroll as a COVID-19 provider, MDHHS urges you to work with local community partners, such as providers, pharmacies, local health departments or federally qualified health centers, or visit vaccines.gov to obtain additional vaccine information. 

You will find below some additional resources related to the recommendations and helpful resources to share when discussing the COVID-19 vaccine.

• Updated Interim Clinical Considerations
• Summary Document for Interim Clinical Considerations

• Updated web pages for the public, including:

• Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines
• COVID-19 Vaccines for People who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
• Overview of COVID-19 Vaccines
• Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC
• COVID-19 Vaccination for Children and Teens with Disabilities | CDC
• How Do I Find a COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster?

• Why Vaccinate Your Child 
• Citations: MI Data and Modeling Slides

• The Pediatricians and Family Physicians Toolkit: includes a sample letter to parents, pediatrician talking points, posters and flyers that can be hung in offices and waiting rooms, as well as digital communications like social media posts and sample text messages.

You can find these and other COVID-19 vaccine information on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) website at COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Guidance and Educational Resources (michigan.gov).

 

Thank you for all that you do to protect Michigan’s most vulnerable residents from COVID-19. 

MDHHS Division of Immunization