|
Did you know that documenting and screening for Adult Vaccine Program (AVP) eligibility is now a requirement for AVP providers?
Coming December 1st all providers that directly enter immunization data in the IIS will get an automatic prompt to select an eligibility category for patients 19 years and older. Please watch for additional details as the date gets closer. You can visit our Adult Vaccine Program eligibility page here for more information.
In addition to the new AVP eligibility categories you will also notice a slight change to the names of the following Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP) eligibility categories.
 The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) sent a Provider Alert regarding an increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases on November 6, 2024. Healthcare providers should:
- Remain alert for patients with symptoms of pertussis.
- Test patients who may have pertussis and treat patients strongly suspected of having pertussis.
- Ensure patients are up-to-date with DTaP or Tdap vaccines.
This is an update to the Provider Alert sent in May 2024.
Current Pertussis Situation in Washington
There has been a total of 1,193 confirmed and probable cases of pertussis reported statewide during 2024 through 11/02/2024, compared to 51 cases reported by the same week in 2023. This represents a 21-fold increase in pertussis cases over the previous year. 31 of 39 counties have reported pertussis activity during 2024; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that only approximately 10% of pertussis infections are identified and reported to public health.
Current information about pertussis in Washington state can be found in the DOH Weekly Pertussis Update. This report is updated every Friday.
Please contact vpd-cde@doh.wa.gov with any questions related to Pertussis cases or investigations; Contact immunenurses@doh.wa.gov with any questions regarding vaccination.
Thank you,
Vaccine-Preventable Disease (VPD) Program Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology Division of Disease Control and Health Statistics Washington State Department of Health Email: vpd-cde@doh.wa.gov (Monitored during business hours) Phone: 206-418-5500
And
Office of Immunization Division of Prevention and Community Health Washington State Department of Health Email: immunenurses@doh.wa.gov (Monitored during business hours)
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on October 23–24 and voted to approve the below recommendations. These recommendations were adopted by the CDC Director and are now official. ACIP recommendations will be published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in the future.
- Routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) for all adults 50 years and older who have not previously received PCV vaccine.
- A 6-month dosing interval (previously 1-month) for the 2-dose Bexsero in healthy adolescents and young adults 16 through 23 years based on shared clinical decision-making and for a 3-dose series (0, 1–2, 6 months) for people at increased risk. This new schedule for Bexsero is the same as for Trumenba. However, the two MenB vaccines are still not interchangeable. The same vaccine brand must be used for all doses.
During the meeting, ACIP also reviewed a new RSV preventive antibody, clesrovimab, currently under review by FDA. Clesrovimab is intended to be used similar to Beyfortus (nirsevimab). ACIP will make recommendations after the FDA licensure decision.
 The Washington Department of Health (DOH) will host a webinar on Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 12-1pm, featuring Dr. Eva Meekins, a nurse educator with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Meekins will discuss current vaccine recommendations and strategies to prevent common vaccine administration errors. The webinar will be recorded, and continuing education credits will be available for nurses, medical assistants, and pharmacists/pharmacy techs. Find more information on our web page: Current Vaccine Recommendations & Preventing Vaccine Administration Errors - November 21, 2024 | Washington State Department of Health.
 CDC updated the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States.
- People ages 65 years and older, regardless of vaccination history, are recommended to receive 2 doses of any 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech). The doses should be separated by 6 months (minimum interval 2 months).
- Unvaccinated people who initiate vaccination with 2024–2025 Novavax are recommended to receive 2 doses of Novavax followed by a third dose of any COVID-19 vaccine 6 months later (minimum interval 2 months).
- People ages 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are recommended to receive:
- Unvaccinated: A multidose initial series with an age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine and 1 dose 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) after completion of the initial series. Additional doses may be recommended based on shared clinical decision making.
- Previously completed the multidose initial series: 2 age-appropriate doses of 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) apart. Additional doses may be recommended based on shared clinical decision making.
 The Department of Health would like to share some flu materials and resources that you may find helpful. Check out the Stay Safe from Seasonal Flu flyer! Additional materials and resources can be found on the Flu Materials and Resources page. There are resources for parents, pregnant people, high risk groups and more.
 Unity Consortium developed the 3Cs Program to help healthcare providers provide Confident, Concise, and Consistent vaccine recommendations and secure same-day vaccination for adolescents and young adults. The newly redesigned, free, self-guided course now allows you to track progress, revisit material that interest you, and download a certificate of completion. Throughout the course, you will see techniques like motivational interviewing and, when appropriate, shared clinical decision-making “in action.” Also included is a Q&A-style resource guide to help you address specific questions and situations. You can enroll in the free course here. For team enrollment, contact unity@unity4teenvax.org.
|
