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Welcome to the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Newsletter! Here you'll find the latest news and information on COVID-19 vaccine related topics.
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Photo: Rasi Bhadramani/iStock
Q: WHAT IS MYOCARDITIS AND IS THERE A CONNECTION TO COVID-19 VACCINATION?
A: Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle (and pericarditis is the inflammation of the outer lining of the heart). No cases of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination have been observed in children under 12 and there have been no deaths from myocarditis determined to be caused by COVID-19 vaccination in the United States. An individual is more likely to develop myocarditis after infection with COVID-19 than from the vaccine. The strong benefits of the vaccines far outweigh the low risk of myocarditis.
Read more about myocarditis and COVID-19 vaccination on the CDC website and HealthyChildren.org.
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 Image: Tumisu from Pixabay
LET'S TALK ABOUT NATURAL IMMUNITY & COVID-19
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is much we’ve learned about this novel coronavirus and much that is still misunderstood. One such area is immunity, your body’s ability to protect itself against infection.
Some people wrongly believe that COVID-19 is just like chicken pox, once you’ve been infected you have natural immunity and you can’t get it again. They may even rationalize this as a reason they don’t need to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The truth is, while some people may develop antibodies after COVID-19 infection, others may not. In fact, a study from the CDC published in September 2021, showed that approximately 1/3 of COVID-19 cases had no natural immunity after infection. For the lucky ones that develop some immunity after infection, there is no way to tell how strong that protection is, how long it will last or even which variant the immunity is for. The bottom line, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that immunity from COVID-19 cannot be accurately estimated.
Because we cannot rely on natural immunity to prevent reinfection or severe illness from COVID-19, being up to date on vaccination remains the best protection. A study released in 2021 showed that among those who have previously had COVID-19, unvaccinated people are more than twice as likely to be reinfected as fully vaccinated people. As of March 7, 73.4% of eligible Washingtonians are fully vaccinated, but that means 1 in 4 people are not fully vaccinated. We hope that as trusted members of our health care community, you will encourage others to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes boosters, if they are eligible.
For more information on Immunity and COVID-19, please review these helpful resources.
Natural vs Vaccine Immunity - Video with Dr. Joshua Liao
COVID Natural Immunity: What You Need to Know
Antibody Testing for COVID-19
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DOH UPDATES SCHOOL GUIDANCE
MASK MANDATE LIFTS STARTING MARCH 12
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has released new guidance for schools, child care, day camps, and other youth activities, with changes to masking rules effective March 12. This guidance is being announced in coordination with the end of Washington’s masking requirement, as part of the state’s continued COVID-19 recovery efforts.
Few requirements for schools remain as requirements for indoor mask wearing lift and in recognition that we are a different phase of the pandemic. The new guidance outlines a shorter set of requirements and continues to provide schools and child care providers with options they may utilize to prevent or mitigate transmission of COVID-19. The full guidance is available now with some additional supporting documents updating Friday, March 11.
DOH is working closely with education and provider partners and local health jurisdictions on understanding and implementing the new recommendations and requirements. Guidance can be found on the DOH website. Those with additional questions can call the state’s COVID hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.
Read the full press release here.
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Bridget and Kevin
"WE CONSIDER" CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHTS BLACK VOICES OVERCOMING VACCINE HESITANCY
DOH’s “We Consider” campaign spotlights the stories of parents, educators, artists, entrepreneurs and others, sharing authentic Black voices in hopes of creating a safe space and source of clarity to help navigate an overwhelming sea of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.
New videos and other content are available to share with your communities on the We Consider website.
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Photo: Getty Images
BOOSTER DOSES EFFECTIVE AGAINST SEVERE COVID-19 FOR 12-17 YEAR OLDS
In a study published by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) last week, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccinations was reviewed for children 5-17 years old.
Research showed that two doses protect against COVID-19–associated emergency department (ED) and urgent care (UC) encounters among children and adolescents. However, vaccine effectiveness (VE) was lower during Omicron predominance and decreased with time since vaccination; a booster dose restored VE to 81% among adolescents aged 16–17 years.
Evidence of protection by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine supports the role of third (booster) doses in maintaining high levels of VE in the setting of Omicron predominance. All eligible children and adolescents should remain up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including a booster dose for those aged 12–17 years.
Read the full report.
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 Photo: Crisis Connections
FOOD AND OTHER SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH COVID-19
Please spread the word that people isolating or quarantining due to COVID-19 can receive free food, personal care kits, and even financial assistance to pay bills in certain circumstances. Care Connect Washington provides necessities to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or people who have been exposed to the virus so that they can stay home and avoid spreading the illness. People who need help should call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available. The hotline hours are 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, Monday, and 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, Tuesday through Sunday and observed state holidays.
For messages and images you can use your website and share social media, please visit the Care Connect portal.
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 SUBMIT TEMPERATURE LOGS STARTING APRIL 1ST
Starting April 1st, providers enrolled in the COVID-19 Vaccine Program will need to submit temperature logs for all units listed on their provider agreement. Please join us on the March 15th Partner Call where we will be sharing more information, including steps for submitting your temperature logs.
Also, don't forget that if you would like to submit a Digital Data Logger summary report, you need prior review/approval by the program.
The summary report will need to be brief (1-2 page) and display the following:
- One month of temperature data with dates displayed.
- Data points listed on the CDC paper temperature logs. For example, daily min/max record or a graph displaying month data trend that clearly illustrates whether your unit experienced an excursion.
- If possible, please list the alarms set for each unit.
Please email your summary report for review/approval or any questions to COVID.Vaccine@doh.wa.gov.
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J & J VACCINE IN LIMITED SUPPLY
Janssen (J&J) vaccine is currently in limited supply across the nation. If your site has excess doses that can be transferred to another office, please list them on the Vaccine Advertisement Page within the Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS). Janssen vaccine is not available to order through the WAIIS. If you need doses at your site, please request them via transfer from another provider office or Vaccine Depot. If more doses of Janssen vaccine become available from the federal government, the Department of Health will announce their availability to order in the WAIIS.
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J & J EXTENDS VACCINE SHELF LIFE
The Food & Drug Administration announced the approval of a shelf life extension for the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for an additional three months. The shelf life of this vaccine has been updated from 6 months to 9 months. This decision is based on data from ongoing stability assessment studies, which have demonstrated that the vaccine is stable at 9 months when refrigerated at temperatures of 36o – 46o Fahrenheit (2o – 8o Celsius).
This shelf life extension applies to all inventory dated to expire on March 7, 2022 or later. Vaccine dated prior to March 7, 2022 should be disposed of according to state and local regulation and reported as waste according to your COVID-19 provider agreement. Vaccine providers should visit the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Expiry Checker webpage to confirm the expiration dates. This shelf life extension applies to refrigerated vials of J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine that have been held in accordance with the manufacturer’s storage conditions.
COVID-19 vaccines that are authorized under an EUA do not have fixed expiration dates, and expiration dates may be extended as we get more stability data. Always check the manufacturer’s website to obtain the most up-to-date expiration dates for the COVID-19 vaccines you have on hand.
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GET REIMBURSED FOR VACCINE COUNSELING
Health care providers can bill and be reimbursed for COVID-19 vaccine counseling, in addition to vaccine administration.
Private Insurance
- Bill using diagnosis code Z71.89 and CPT code 99401, 99441 or 98966
- Consultation is by an in-network medical provider (does not include pharmacy services providers)
- Provider must have established relationship with patient
- Cap of two billings per patient
Medicaid
- Vaccine counseling is covered for both new and established clients
- Providers can bill in the following ways (Please review AMA CPT ® guidelines for code guidance):
- If the patient is prescheduled for a visit and counseling is then added, the provider may choose the appropriate E/M level
- The provider may bill 99401 using modifier 25 in addition to billing EM visit; the E/M visit in this case should not include the time spent on COVID counseling
- The provider may bill 99401 individually, if no E/M visit occurred and COVID vaccine counseling was provided
- Nurses/medical assistants nurses and medical assistants who counsel patients can bill using CPT® code 99211
- For further details on billing for Medicaid clients please review the WA Medicaid COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Policy
We encourage health care professionals performing counseling visits to be prepared to provide vaccine or refer to appropriate, accessible vaccine sites to the patient.
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 COVID-19 VACCINATION RESOURCES: FACT SHEETS AND GUIDANCE DOCS
As we continue to see progress in our fight against COVID-19, the clinical guidance on vaccination seems to change almost weekly. The good news is, immunize.org has gathered all of the fact sheets, clinical guidance and support tools, and has made them available in an easy-to-follow checklist. The checklist is updated at least once a month (with the date last updated noted), so you are sure to have current information.
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 SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Webinar: March 30, 2022 at 12:00pm PST
The Department of Health is hosting a School and Child Care Immunization Requirements webinar on Wednesday, March 30, at 12:00 PM PT. The presenters will review the 2022 immunization schedule and go over school and child care requirements for the 2022-2023 school year. Continuing education will be offered for nurses and medical assistants. The presentation will be recorded and available at a later date.
Learning objectives:
- Identify updates to the 2022 immunization schedule.
- Describe the immunization requirements needed to attend school and child care in Washington state.
- Identify the changes to the requirements from previous school years.
- Know where to find relevant immunization resources.
Register for the training here.
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FOR SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES
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Higher Education Recommendations 2021-2022
- This guidance reflects the CDC isolation and quarantine guidelines, including information on staying up to date with vaccinations against COVID-19.
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Symptom Decision Tree and Contact Tracing Checklist for K-12 Schools (PDF) and Contact Tracing Guide and FAQ for K-12 Schools (PDF)
- These documents align with the current versions of K-12 School Requirements on isolation, quarantine, and the expanded Test to Stay program.
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K-12 Schools 2021-2022 Requirements (PDF). DOH policy supports in-person learning while maximizing constrained COVID-19 testing supplies. Schools/districts are required to:
- Test high contact sport athletes the day of competition only and exclude those who test positive.
- Ensure universal masking of all athletes during all practices/training for these high-risk sports.
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COVID-19 Vaccines: Pediatric Vaccine Toolkit for Schools (PowerPoint) This toolkit provides a variety of resources for schools, including parent handouts, backpack stuffers, and sample communication.
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Contact Tracing Guide and FAQ for K-12 Schools This guide includes quarantine recommendations and contact tracing priority settings.
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K-12 Schools 2021-2022 Supplemental Considerations to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission. Information includes classroom and school closure criteria, contact tracing in high priority settings, timelines for close contact testing, and technical clarifications on antigen testing for Test to Stay programs and performing arts/sporting activities screening testing.
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Secretary of Health’s Mask Order FAQ, to align with the secretary’s order related to athletes and coaches at large outdoor gatherings.
School and child care guidance can be found on the Department of Health web page here.
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FOR LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES
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RESOURCES ON THE PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE 12-15 AGE EXPANSION
In response to the authorized of Pfizer COVID-19 to children ages 12-15, the CDC has developed several useful tools for parents and clinicians to utilize.
Information for healthcare and vaccine providers provides basic information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, consent and tools for communication to the community:
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SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
If you aren't already signed up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Newsletter, please visit the Department of Health's email subscribers page here. Once you enter your email, on the next page expand the Immunization topic, select the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Newsletter, and hit submit.
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This newsletter summarizes content from the week of March 6, 2022 and was sent out on March 11, 2022. |
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