Avian Influenza Activity in Virginia 

Clinicians should consider the possibility of avian influenza virus infection in people showing signs or symptoms of acute respiratory illness and/or conjunctivitis who have a relevant exposure history. This includes people who had contact with potentially infected sick or dead birds, livestock, or other animals within the 10 days before their symptoms began.  

Additionally, subtyping of influenza A-positive specimens should be expedited for all patients hospitalized with influenza. 

More information about treatment, testing, and infection control precautions is available on VDH’s webpage for healthcare providers. 

Respiratory Illness Activity in Virginia 

➡️Overall respiratory illness activity in Virginia is moderate, accounting for more than 17% of all emergency department visits.   

➡️It's not too late in the season to get vaccinated against COVID-19, RSV, and flu. Make sure patients are up to date on recommended respiratory virus vaccines.   

➡️For the most up-to-date data on illness trends and vaccinations, see VDH’s Respiratory Illness Dashboard

---

 

Share Your Thoughts on Vaccines! 

VDH invites providers to answer an anonymous survey to help VDH understand their attitudes about vaccines. The voluntary survey is open to all healthcare providers licensed and operating in Virginia. It should take around 20 minutes to complete. 

Please complete the survey by January 31, 2025. The survey can be found here: Provider Immunization Survey 

---

January is National Cervical Health Awareness Month.  

VDH is encouraging women to talk to their doctor about getting screened for cervical cancer. Routine screening is one of the major ways to help prevent cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer when found early.   

If cost is a factor for your patients, the VDH Every Woman's Life program. The program provides free breast and cervical screening tests to low-income, uninsured Virginians.  

TPOXX Ordering Updates

Enrollment for the STOMP Trial, the National Institutes of Health’s trial to evaluate the effectiveness of tecovirimat (TPOXX) treatment, ended on November 27, 2024. Analysis of the data so far found that TPOXX did not make lesions heal more quickly or decrease pain in adults with mild or moderate clade II mpox.  

➡️TPOXX is still available through CDC’s Expanded Access Investigational New Drug (EA-IND) protocol for patients who meet eligibility criteria.    

➡️Private providers requesting TPOXX should contact their local health department (LHD) to coordinate medication access.   

➡️VDH can also assist providers with completion of EA-IND administrative requirements. They can also support providers in requesting additional medical countermeasure products, such as intravenous TPOXX, brincidofovir, or VIGIV through the CDC. 

➡️Additional details are available in VDH’s TPOXX Ordering Information for Virginia Providers and LHDs and CDC’s Clinical Treatment of Mpox webpage.  

CDC Mpox Vaccine Locator Retired 

On November 22, 2024, CDC retired their mpox vaccine locator. 

 ✅If your office does not carry the vaccine, please have interested patients contact their local health department or pharmacy to schedule an appointment and ensure the vaccine is available.  

✅For more information on mpox, visit VDH's Mpox for Healthcare Provider webpage.  

Update on Avian Influenza  

Join CDC/ISDA on January 23, 2025 at 4PM – 5:15PM ET for an update on the current H5N1 situation, information on testing and treatment, and the evolving risk of human-to-human transmission.   Register now!