The Michigan Update

National Influenza Vaccination Week

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) begins Dec. 5. Prevent respiratory illness by getting your flu and COVID vaccines. Let’s #FightFlu to protect ourselves and the ones we love.

NIVW is a critical opportunity to remind everyone 6 months and older that there’s still time to protect themselves and their loved ones from flu this flu season by getting their annual flu vaccine if they have not already. Currently, flu activity is elevated across the country, so this week will serve to remind people that there is still time to benefit from the first and most important action in preventing flu illness and potentially serious flu complications: get a flu vaccine today.

Help kids fight flu.

Flu is more dangerous for children than the common cold. Each year, millions of children get sick with seasonal flu, thousands of children are hospitalized, and some even die from flu. The good news is a flu vaccine can help protect your children against flu.

Children younger than 5 years old – especially those younger than 2 – and children of any age with certain chronic health conditions, like asthma and diabetes, are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. Because these children are at higher risk, it is especially important that they get a seasonal flu vaccine to help prevent flu, and to reduce their risk of being hospitalized or dying from flu if they get sick.

Parents can help children fight flu with flu vaccines for the whole family each year.

Protect all your loved ones.

Getting vaccinated against flu also protects your other loved ones, like adults 65 years and older and people living with certain chronic conditions who are at increased risk of suffering from serious flu complications. These groups also face a higher risk of hospitalization if they get sick with flu.

A flu vaccine can protect everyone as communities gather to celebrate the holiday season.

Flu vaccines are safe and effective – and there’s still time to get vaccinated.

Every year, flu vaccines are updated to better match the four flu viruses that research indicates will circulate during the season.

Go to your doctor or local pharmacy to get your flu vaccine, encourage your loved ones to get their flu vaccine, and learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated against flu.

News & Articles

Michigan Emergency Management Association: Public Health Emergency Management Professional of the Year Award

Each year the Michigan Emergency Management Association (MEMA) gives out awards for various categories at their annual conference. One such award is the Public Health Emergency Management Professional of the Year. This year the winner of this aware is D1RMRC, Region 1 Healthcare Coalition.

Specifically mentioned in the award are Dr. Don Edwards, Matt Price, and Maureen Gibbons. Congratulations to Region 1 Healthcare Coalition!

Pandemics that never happened: The silent heroes protecting us (ABC)

As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, public health professionals working behind the scenes successfully prevented six "epidemics that didn't happen," according to Prevent Epidemics, a project of Resolve to Save Lives, which is a non-for-profit organization with a stated mission of preventing disease outbreaks. As detailed in the new report, those six would-be outbreaks were stopped thanks to a swift response, well-coordinated local action, community engagement and strong health care work force.

Research

Effectiveness of Bivalent mRNA Vaccines in Preventing Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection — Increasing Community Access to Testing Program, United States, September–November 2022

Monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were less effective against symptomatic infection during the period of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant predominance.

In this study of vaccine effectiveness of the U.S.-authorized bivalent mRNA booster formulations, bivalent boosters provided significant additional protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in persons who had previously received 2, 3, or 4 monovalent vaccine doses. Due to waning immunity of monovalent doses, the benefit of the bivalent booster increased with time since receipt of the most recent monovalent vaccine dose.

All persons should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including bivalent booster doses for eligible persons.

Tools & Resources

Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit

The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub), in collaboration with the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, has released the Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit. This new toolkit was developed to help rural and tribal communities, health care facilities, and other organizations serving rural populations access evidence-based and promising models and resources to support emergency planning, response, and recovery efforts.

Trainings & Events

Access and Functional Needs Preparedness Planning for Rural Communities (MGT 403)

April 12, 2023
Dimondale, Michigan

Michigan State Police is sponsoring an eight hour, DHS/DEMA certified, tuition-free, awareness-level course. The goal of this course is to teach participants the basics of mass fatality response while providing opportunities to exchange rural perceptions and brainstorm solutions to simulated emergencies. 

The Guardian of Public Health is a monthly newsletter from the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS & Systems of Care (BEPESOC) within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The Guardian aims to provide readers with relevant content on topics that affect the public health of Michigan's citizens and communities.

This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement number 1NU90TP922062-01-00, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.

Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS & Systems of Care  |  1001 Terminal Rd, Lansing, MI 48906  |  517-335-8150