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December 23, 2022
This will be the last edition of this newsletter in 2022. We look forward to resuming in the new year, and we wish you a happy and peaceful holiday season.
Updates in this email:
Children ages 6 months and up are now eligible for the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine dose. Please share this information with your school communities.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is urging parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 and to make sure they and the entire family are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded recommendations for children age 6 months through 5 years to receive an updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine dose to help increase their protection against currently circulating variants. Because protection from the vaccines can decrease over time, and because the strains of COVID-19 that are circulating have changed since the original vaccine was developed, it is important for children 6 months and older get an updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine when eligible.
Vaccination rates for our youngest Minnesotans remain low across the state and lower up-to-date vaccination rates for all age groups are concerning for health officials. Vaccination is one of the best ways to protect children and families from COVID-19, and that includes the updated bivalent vaccine when due.
Children can receive COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit as other recommended vaccines, including the flu vaccine. This is a good time to connect with your child’s health care provider to see what vaccines your child may need.
Visit COVID-19 Vaccine for Children and Teens for the latest information and recommendations for getting children vaccinated against COVID-19.
Where to Get a Bivalent Booster
- Check with your regular health care provider or local pharmacy to see if appointments are available.
- Use the state’s Find Vaccine Locations map to find vaccine providers near you—providers will update their information as appointments are available.
- Check for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
- Watch for vaccination clinics being offered at other community locations around Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Education, through the CDC 1801 Improving Student Health and Academic Achievement cooperative agreement, is offering free virtual training opportunities to current Minnesota school health educators.
Starting in January 2023, RMC Health will provide high-quality, interactive training opportunities. Educators are encouraged to participate in both training sessions. However, this is not required, and participants can choose to register for one.
Each training will have two cohorts that participants can select from with varying dates/times. There is limited capacity in each training, so we ask that participants commit to the full series if they sign up. For training descriptions and specific dates/times, please refer to the registration links below. Continuing education units (CEUs) will be provided upon completion of each training series.
- Introduction to Skills-Based Health Education (4 hours total)
- Practice, Practice, Practice: The Road to Students Mastering Health Skills (9 hours total)
Don’t delay—sign up now.
The exponential rise in children’s respiratory illnesses resulting in hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu) and influenza-like-illnesses (ILI) has placed an unprecedented strain on our hospitals and emergency departments (EDs).
As a result of this increase, Minnesota hospitals are receiving an overwhelming number of parents and guardians requesting notes from hospital staff, specifically in EDs. The increase in requests for these notes has placed an additional burden on an already strained system. If your district policy necessitates notes from medical providers for student absences, please consider asking parents to request these notes from a healthcare provider instead of going to the ED to get a note.
We continue to encourage school districts to promote basic public health measures including handwashing, covering your cough, staying home if sick, and promoting vaccination. Thank you for your continued leadership to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for students and staff.
The Language Access Network (LAN) is a statewide community of practice centered on ensuring that families who speak languages other than English have access to information and services from public schools. LAN consists of school and school district personnel with responsibility for the interpreting, translation and language access needs of Minnesota’s multilingual children and families.
At this time, we have the following dates set for the Language Access Network (you will receive calendar invitations upon registration).
- Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023; 2–3:30 p.m. (virtual connection with MDE)
- Thursday, March 16, 2023; 2–3:30 p.m. (virtual connection with MDE)
Register for the Language Access Network.
We invite you to join us as we work toward making education a more supportive and inclusive place for Minnesota’s multilingual families.
If there are questions, contact Amy Tervola Hultberg (Amy.TervolaHultberg@sourcewell-mn.gov) at Sourcewell.
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