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Welcome to the Vaccines for Respiratory Illnesses Newsletter! Here you'll find the latest news and information on respiratory illness vaccine related topics.
- Latest News
- Clinical Updates
- Training and Events
- Resources
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National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is the month of August, giving organizations and coalitions the opportunity to work together to grab the public's attention on immunizations. Voices for Vaccines put together a series of post templates, including the one you see above, along with other tips for social media engagement.
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A: Some American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) children experience higher rates of severe RSV disease than the general population. Incidence of hospitalization due to RSV among some AI/AN children in their second year of life are four to ten times higher than that of similar-aged children. For more information see the video link below from Immunize.org.
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Yesterday, August 22, the FDA approved and granted emergency use authorization for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 season. The COVID-19 vaccine formulas have been updated to target currently circulating variants and provide better protection. This update applies to COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer.
Here is some important information regarding next steps as it relates to this announcement:
- Order sets in the IIS for the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine products have been removed from all providers.
- Pending CVP and AVP orders for the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine products will be denied.
- The FDA did not de-authorize the current 2023-2024 products today, but they may do so in the coming days. Continue to store the vaccine appropriately until more information is available.
- Our team is currently working to prepare and make necessary updates to the IIS to enable ordering through the Childhood and Adult Vaccine Programs in the coming weeks.
- We do not yet have a timeline for when ordering will begin, but we are working hard to make it available as soon as possible.
Our programs will continue to share additional information as it is available during this transition.
To help celebrate National Immunization Awareness Month, the Health Plan Partnership is proud to announce the 2024 Immunize WA award winners! This year we celebrate the 10th year of the awards, which honor clinics that reach certain threshold vaccination rates.
Congratulations to all clinics that are recognized this year! Since the pandemic began, there has been an overall decrease in vaccinations and well child/adolescent visits across the country. We appreciate all your efforts to ensure patients are up to date with recommended vaccines. Providers can use the social media hashtag #ImmunizeWA to showcase their achievement by posting pictures of their clinic and staff with their award.
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The CDC launched a new page containing resources specifically for respiratory illness season. This page contains links to tools and resources that can help you prepare for the fall and winter virus season. Resources are available for health care providers, older adult populations, adults with limited vaccine access, parents and pregnant people, children, people with disabilities, racial and ethnic minority groups, tribal communities, and refugee, immigrant, and migrant populations.
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Community-based organizations were fundamental to the COVID-19 response in our state and are just as important to its ongoing recovery. DOH’s Community Collaborative unveiled two community-led documents and invites you to read and share these valuable resources. The collection of Voices from the Frontlines of COVID, available in 22 languages, amplifies the voices of community-based pandemic first responders, and offers crucial insights for advancing health equity in Washington.
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On June 26, 2024, the ACIP voted to update these recommendations as follows: all adults aged ≥75 years and adults aged 60–74 years who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease should receive a single dose of RSV vaccine. CDC published the updated recommendations in the August 6 MMWR.
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The Adult Vaccine Program (AVP) announced this week that the CDC has identified funds that are now being made available to support the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine for un- and under-insured adults for the 2024-2025 respiratory season through our AVP.
Washington has been awarded approximately $1 million dollars specifically for AVP COVID-19 vaccine purchase.
These additional funds offer us more flexibility than we had previously anticipated this season. The following changes will be effective immediately for AVP COVID-19 vaccine only:
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ALL enrolled AVP providers will now have the option to order COVID-19 vaccine. Previously, we could only make COVID-19 vaccine available to AVP providers who selected it in their top 5 priorities on their AVP provider agreements.
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AVP COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to BOTH uninsured AND underinsured adults for the 2024-2025 season. All other AVP vaccine types can still only be administered to uninsured adults.
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Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax vaccines will now be offered through the AVP. Previously, we planned to offer only Moderna and Novavax in the program due to cost constraints.
- Providers who enrolled after the 7/31 enrollment deadline will have the option to order COVID-19 vaccine and will receive a COVID-19 vaccine order set in the IIS.
We will send out an additional newsletter communication when AVP COVID and flu ordering is open. As a reminder, ordering is currently open for all other vaccine types in the IIS, with a deadline of 9/3/24.
For more information on any of these updates, email the Vaccine Management team at WAAdultVaccines@doh.wa.gov or call us at 360.236.2VAX.
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Experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC will host Prepare Your Clinics and Patients for Fall and Winter Respiratory Virus Season on Tuesday, August 27, at 9 a.m. PT. The webinar will cover the latest information on immunizations, treatment, and other tools to protect pediatric patients from respiratory viruses during the 2024-2025 fall and winter respiratory virus season.
CDC panelists will review data and outline current recommendations for prevention of flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus. A facilitated question and answer session will follow the presentation.
Continuing education credits are available for a variety of professions.
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Join the Public Health Communications Collaborative for their webinar on August 26 at 11:30 a.m. PT discussing new approaches to vaccine communication. Each fall and winter season, public health professionals support communities in making informed decisions about vaccines through compelling and timely messages. This webinar will introduce newly tested messages to encourage routine and recommended vaccinations for children and adults. Attendees will access new messaging approaches that can inspire openness and curiosity about vaccines and learn the latest guidance for annual vaccines.
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FOR SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES
FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
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If you aren't already signed up for Vaccines for Respiratory Illnesses 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 Vaccines for Respiratory Illnesses Newsletter, and click submit.
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This newsletter summarizes content beginning the week of August 11, 2024 and was sent out on August 23, 2024. |
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