COVID-19 Updates, Pride Month, Naloxone availability

Bridge Access Program: The CDC recently announced the Bridge Access Program will end in August 2024 due to a loss of federal funding. This program has provided no-cost COVID-19 vaccinations to uninsured or underinsured adults at participating pharmacies and medical facilities. Until the program ends, qualifying adults can still find a provider and get the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine by visiting www.vaccines.gov. After August, access to free COVID-19 vaccinations may be very limited. If you or your health care facility would like to offer no-cost COVID-19 vaccines in the future, consider enrolling in one of two Washington State Department of Health (DOH) vaccine programs:

Adult Vaccine Program (AVP) - The AVP provides vaccines for uninsured adults,19 years of age and older. The program is funded using 317 Federal Funding. Selected vaccines are available to order for a limited time once each year. Provider enrollment and re-enrollment began on June 3, 2024.

• If your facility was enrolled last year, you will receive an email with a link to your specific agreement to update and sign.
• If your facility was not enrolled last year, please use the Provider Enrollment Form link on the AVP website.

Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP) - The CVP provides publicly purchased vaccines to participating providers for all children, 18 years of age or less. The program supplies all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and eliminates or reduces cost barriers to receiving vaccinations. Visit the provider enrollment page for more information

In observance of Pride Month, we are highlighting some educational resources to support provider engagement with LGBTQ+ patients.

According to a recent study, LGBT adults report mixed experiences with the health care system. 81% of LGBT adults felt understood and respected by their health care providers. However, discrimination and unfair treatment remains a reality for many surveyed. The stigma and challenges faced by many LGBTQ+ people, put them at increased risk for poor health outcomes.  

Adopting culturally sensitive health care practices can help to reduce health inequities for LGBTQ+ patients. Below are some resources to support your work:

Naloxone can save lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose, or possible overdose. Individuals can now order one free naloxone kit per month, to be delivered by mail. The mail order program is meant for people who can’t easily access a kit from a pharmacy or community organization. Here are several resources for naloxone:

• Order by mail – order one free naloxone to be delivered by mail per month.
• Find naloxone in Washington – search for pharmacies and community organizations that offer naloxone without a prescription.
• Become a distribution site – apply to become a naloxone distribution site or request overdose response training.
• Learn how to use naloxone – a DOH fact sheet on how to use naloxone.

Events, webinars, trainings, and resources

• Long COVID Interest Group. June 26 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM via Zoom. Featuring cardiologist Dr Eugene Yang. Sponsored by The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the UW Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation and Recovery Clinic. ACP non-members welcome.
• CMS Targeted COVID-19 Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff and Management. Free, online training. Materials available in Spanish. (CMS)
• "Smoke Ready Week" was June 10-14. Keep up with wildfire smoke information in Washington and smoke from fires (WADOH)
• Protect Yourself from H5N1 When Working with Farm Animals Available in English, Spanish, K'iche", and Nahuatl. (CDC)
• Care-a-Van Mobile Health Services. Host a back-to-school vaccine clinic or find a clinic serving your community. Due to high demand, it is recommended to make clinic requests three months in advance