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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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A: Both COVID-19 and flu can have varying degrees of symptoms, ranging from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe symptoms. Getting tested and treated early for COVID-19 and flu can reduce your risk of getting very sick. Efforts to maximize the proportion of people in the United States who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines remain critical to reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. There are multiple FDA-licensed influenza vaccines produced annually to protect against the three flu viruses that scientists expect will circulate during the upcoming season. The link below helps to compare COVID-19 and flu.
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The 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months to target currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains and provide additional protection against severe COVID-19–associated illness and death.
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Starting at the end of September, U.S. households will be eligible to order four free COVID-19 tests. The COVID-19 tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year. At-home COVID tests can be taken at home or in other locations and typically provide results within 30 minutes or less. COVID tests can be administered to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
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As an additional service to IZ Express readers, Immunize.org periodically publishes special editions, providing you with new and updated Ask the Experts questions and answers from experts. This issue includes 13 Q&As based on the fall 2024 updates to CDC clinical guidance and ACIP recommendations for vaccination against influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a campaign known as Risk Less. Do More. in an effort to increase awareness of, confidence in, and uptake of respiratory illness vaccines in at-risk populations.
The Risk Less. Do More. campaign prioritizes reaching audiences at high risk including adults ages 60 and older and adults living in long-term care facilities (LTCF).
The campaign includes tailored messages for health care providers and provides them with resources to help facilitate conversations with patients about respiratory virus vaccines.
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The Washington State Department of Health's (DOH) Flu Free Washington campaign launched in the second week of September. The campaign includes ads on Facebook, Instagram, and website banners as well as radio and local ads. The Flu Free Washington campaign urges everyone six months and older to receive a yearly flu vaccine to keep our families and communities flu-free.
The Flu Free Washington web page and partner toolkit are updated throughout September. Check out these resources to find information, fact sheets and other communication materials.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) launched a statewide initiative in early 2024 to enhance public health accessibility and equity. Using federal COVID-19 response funding, in collaboration with Local Health Jurisdictions and Tribal Nations, DOH deployed kiosks offering free COVID-19 and flu tests, along with other health care supplies funded by local jurisdictions.
This innovative program targets underserved populations, including rural residents, unhoused individuals, and those who are uninsured or underinsured. By providing no-cost services in medically underserved areas, the initiative aims to bridge health care gaps and support communities disproportionately affected by health disparities across Washington state.
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Flu and COVID-19 vaccine and RSV products for the 2024-2025 season are available to order. It can take up to two weeks from the approval date to receive your shipment. Please remember to plan mass vaccination clinics later in September and early October when more flu vaccine is available.
Things to Remember:
- Childhood vaccine orders for respiratory products will be processed weekly initially and more frequently once we receive additional allocation.
- Monday - RSV product orders processed
- Tuesday - COVID-19 vaccine orders processed
- Thursday - Flu vaccine orders processed
- All respiratory products can be ordered at any time - you do not need to wait for your assigned ordering window to place an order for these products
- Place smaller orders more frequently, rather than large orders
- Orders may be reduced to meet allocation and product availability - the goal is to ensure all providers receive some product
- Providers are required to carry and offer all ACIP recommended vaccines for the population they serve.
- We expect all providers to have flu and COVID-19 vaccine available. (DOH-authorized specialty providers may not be required to carry flu and COVID vaccines)
- If small infants are served, nirsevimab is expected to be available.
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Creating a positive vaccination experience increases confidence in vaccination. Immunize.org created printable clinical resources on addressing vaccination anxiety, two in-depth webinars, and six brief videos that run 4 minutes or less. The short videos are ideal to share with patient families on your website or social media. As with all Immunize.org resources, these are free to download, link, copy, and share.
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The Washington Department of Health (DOH) hosted a webinar on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, to discuss influenza, COVID-19, and RSV epidemiology, vaccine recommendations, and vaccine ordering and distribution. The webinar was recorded, and continuing education credits (CE) are available for nurses, and medical assistants. The recording will be available starting next week, but slides for the presentation are available now.
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Join Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Education, National Association of School Nurses, and Alliance for a Healthier Generation on September 25th from 12:00-1:30pm PDT for a webinar titled "Vaccinations for School-Age Children: Opportunities for Health Promotion, Collaboration, and Family Engagement!"
This webinar will provide attendees an overview of current trends in national kindergarten vaccination coverage, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vaccination recommendations for K-12 students, evidence-based strategies and promising practices for strengthening vaccination coverage, and the role of the school nurse as a community leader in health promotion.
The training will be recorded and available on CDC TRAIN for one year. Continuing education credits (CNE, CEU, CPH, CHES) for this activity are pending.
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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 September 8, 2024 and was sent out on September 20, 2024. |
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