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Welcome to the Vaccines for Respiratory Illnesses (VRI) Newsletter! Here you'll find the latest news and information on respiratory illness vaccine related topics.
- Special Observance
- Question of the Week
- Latest News
- Clinical Updates
- Training and Events
- Resources
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Hi VRI Newsletter Subscribers,
Today is your last chance to take our short survey to help us improve the content of this newsletter. The survey will close at 11:59 p.m. on Halloween (today)!
Your feedback will guide us in making future editions more relevant, useful and engaging for you.
Thank you for helping us make the VRI Newsletter better! We will share the survey results in a future edition of the newsletter.
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Halloween may be the “scary season,” but the real threat is the flu season, which returns every year and affects people of all ages. While flu season is as inevitable as the appearance of witches and jack-o-lanterns at Halloween, getting the flu doesn’t have to be.
You’ve still got time to get your flu shot if you haven’t already! Before the fun begins tonight, head to your local pharmacy or grocery store for your flu vaccine and bag of candy. If you don’t have time today, just pick up the phone and schedule an appointment to get your flu shot soon. The best defense against the flu for you and your family is the flu vaccine! Check out our Flu Facts webpage for important information about the flu. Have fun trick or treating and stay safe!
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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) affirms the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) respiratory vaccine recommendations that were previously announced for the 2025-2026 season. These recommendations have been reviewed and are supported by the Washington Vaccine Advisory Committee.
DOH MMRV vaccine guidance aligns with WCHA recommendations, the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) science-based guidance, and has been reviewed and supported by the Washington Vaccine Advisory Committee.
- DOH recognizes multiple safe and effective options to immunize children against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, including MMR, varicella, and MMRV vaccines. Choosing the right vaccine should be a shared decision between parents and health care providers.
- For children 12 months through 4 years old, DOH continues to recommend the MMRV vaccine as an option when appropriate based on clinical considerations and shared decision-making.
- DOH continues to offer MMRV for children under 4 through the Childhood Vaccine Program.
Helpful resources
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Dear Childhood Vaccine Program Providers and Immunization Partners,
Congratulations, you did it! Thanks to your commitment and partnership, over 5,500 doses of expiring RSV vaccine (nirsevimab)—valued at $2.3 million—were successfully redistributed and used, preventing waste and helping protect the financial sustainability of Washington’s universal Childhood Vaccine Program. This remarkable accomplishment reflects your dedication, teamwork, and shared commitment to keeping Washington’s children protected.
We know this was not easy. Many of you shared feedback about the challenges of nirsevimab ordering restrictions, transfer processes, and time delays, and we want you to know, we’ve heard you. Your feedback has guided improvements in coordination and communication, helping us work more efficiently together.
Together we saved thousands of RSV doses; over 500 transfers were successfully completed. Kudos to the clinics, LHJs, and Tribes who worked together to share product regionally. This achievement reflects the strong partnership between the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Washington Chapter of the Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP), and the Washington Vaccine Association (WVA), all working together to reduce vaccine waste and ensure sustainable access to life-saving RSV protection for infants.
Current Status: Ordering for RSV product (nirsevimab) opened statewide on October 8, 2025. Providers will continue to have the opportunity to order at least weekly. DOH continues to monitor orders closely, and we expect the process to become smoother moving forward.
Goal: Our goal is to use all RSV product by the end of the season on March 31 so that no doses are held over to next fall. Please remember that whenever product is close to expiring, it should be posted for transfer at least four weeks before expiration to help ensure it is fully utilized.
Next Steps to Continue Our Success:
Once again, thank you for your dedication, patience, and hard work. Your partnership helps us reduce waste, maximize access, and protect the sustainability of this vital public health program.
For assistance with vaccine transfers, see the Vaccine Transfer Checklist and FAQs. Additional information on vaccine ordering, returns, and vaccine choice can be found here. You can also contact us anytime at WAChildhoodVaccines@doh.wa.gov.
Together, we’re ensuring every baby in Washington has access to RSV protection; thank you for being such essential partners in this effort.
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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has created a new online tool to help people see where measles exposures may have occurred in the state. The Measles Exposure Location Tracker shows public places where a person with contagious measles recently was. On October 13, 2025, a visitor with confirmed measles traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). This tool helps people determine if they may have been exposed and take appropriate preventive measures. DOH also launched a new webpage to help people track measles cases across the state. The site is regularly updated to help the public, health care professionals, and media stay informed and up to date. View DOH’s press release.
Related: You can also track measles cases across the U.S. using the U.S. Measles Tracker from the International Vaccine Access Center.
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On October 14, the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed) released a prepublication version of its recommendations for 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccination of residents and staff in post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) facilities. Most residents in PALTC settings are older adults and often have multiple underlying health conditions, increasing their risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Staff members, both clinical and nonclinical, also face a heightened risk of exposure within these environments. Vaccination helps lower the risk of spreading COVID-19 among staff, residents, and visitors. PALTmed's COVID-19 vaccination recommendations are summarized below:
- Residents age 18 and older should receive one dose of 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccine.
- Residents with moderate to severe immunocompromise should receive two doses of 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccine, with a preferred interval of 6 months between doses.
- Clinical and nonclinical staff should receive one dose of 2025–26 COVID-19 vaccine.
- Any age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine may be used.
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DOH recently updated three adult immunization brochures (one brochure encompasses all ages) that you can use during respiratory illness season and beyond. Each of the brochures is offered in multiple languages. If you want a print version of our material to take to a professional print shop, please email us and we’ll get it to you. You can find more materials on our Immunization Materials webpage.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting on COVID-19, flu, RSV, and other respiratory diseases remains paused amid the ongoing government shutdown. This includes the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which is the agency’s primary vehicle for publication of public health information and recommendations and has been considered essential in past shutdowns.
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- The Washington State Department of Health Influenza Update for week 42 is available. Influenza-like illness activity was minimal during week 42. To date, 1 lab-confirmed influenza death has been reported for the 2025-2026 season.
- The Weekly Pertussis Update for Washington State for week 42 is available. There have been a total of 1,952 cases reported statewide so far in 2025, compared to 1205 cases reported by week 42 in 2024.
- DOH launched a new webpage to help people track measles cases across the state. The Measles Exposure Location Tracker shows public places where a person with contagious measles recently was.
- Additional respiratory illness data is available on the Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard. The Respiratory Immunization Dashboard displays the number of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations administered in WA, as well as the estimated percentage of Washingtonians who are immunized.
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Last season, we saw declines in flu vaccination, very low COVID-19 vaccination, and many missed opportunities for RSV immunization. We have the opportunity to improve in the 2025–2026 season. The following toolkits from trustworthy sources help make it easier to encourage your communities and reinforce the value of immunization this season. Toolkit list provided by Immunize.org's IZ Express Issue 1839.
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American Academy of Pediatrics: RSV Campaign Toolkit provides materials to communicate about RSV prevention. It includes downloadable resources, social media graphics, educational parent handouts, and suggested messages.
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American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Maternal Immunization Social Media Toolkit provides messaging to promote COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and Tdap vaccines during pregnancy. Messages for either patient or clinician audiences are offered.
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American Hospital Association: United Against the Flu Toolkit has content about availability of influenza vaccine for at-risk and vulnerable populations.
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CDC: Social Media: For Parents (RSV) toolkit offers social media graphics and message templates to raise awareness about RSV disease and how to protect children. It includes downloadable carousel images, along with sample messages encouraging parents to learn about immunization and prevention.
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NFID.org: From Wild to Mild: The Power of Flu Vaccination campaign promotes annual influenza vaccination to reduce the severity of influenza. It offers downloadable, co-brandable graphics and animations in English and Spanish. RSV Social Media Graphics raise awareness about RSV. The graphics come with suggested messages and can be paired with other NFID resources.
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Vaccinate Your Family: #RootedInProtection 2025 Respiratory Campaign toolkit includes easy-to-share content to help answer questions families ask this season.
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You may have noticed that an updated Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for the COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been released. Providers should use the current version of the COVID VIS that’s available until an updated version is provided by the CDC. We will let you know when an updated VIS is available!
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Did you know that if you refer a child to a pharmacy or other facility that is not enrolled in the Childhood Vaccine Program for routine or seasonal vaccines this may result in parents being charged for the vaccine and administration fees (especially uninsured children and kids enrolled in Medicaid)? Pharmacies also may not be able to vaccinate children under a certain age based on their collaborative agreement with a licensed healthcare professional.
This is why providers who participate in the Childhood Vaccine Program are expected to offer all routine and seasonal vaccines to their patients to ensure access to vaccines at no or low cost. This is especially important in rural areas where health care access is limited. Offering all vaccines in your practice also helps reduce the time and money parents may spend traveling elsewhere for vaccines and increases the likelihood of parents vaccinating their children.
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Some vaccinators have experienced claim denials by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for vaccine administration when both COVID-19 and another Medicare Part B vaccine were administered at the same visit. CMS issued a newsletter dated October 15 stating that this was an error and all of these claims will be reprocessed. Providers are not required to take action.
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Updated Evidence for Covid-19, RSV, and Influenza Vaccines for 2025–2026 | New England Journal of Medicine – A meta-analysis of 511 studies on US COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza vaccines found meaningful protection against severe disease and hospitalization. The published data represent the Vaccine Integrity Project’s final peer-reviewed outcomes, further strengthening the credibility of their results.
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COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may be able to train immune system to attack cancer cells, boost survival | CIDRAP – Patients with cancer who received mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines within 100 days of starting immune checkpoint therapy were twice as likely to be alive three years after beginning treatment.
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Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness for Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Related Acute Respiratory Illness in Older Adults: Findings From the First Postlicensure Season | Clinical Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic – A real-world study found the RSV vaccine for older adults to be 92% effective in preventing severe outcomes. Investigators used a test-negative case-control design to estimate the effectiveness of the Abrysvo vaccine against emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
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Durability of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccines Against JN.1 Subvariants | Coronavirus (COVID-19) | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network – The updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccines were 57% effective in preventing hospitalization and death, though protection declined over time. Effectiveness against infection and emergency department visits was 45%.
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Trends in influenza vaccine disparities in the U.S. following the introduction of COVID-19: Insights from the national health interview survey - ScienceDirect – Despite notable gains among historically unvaccinated populations, disparities persisted and coverage among non-Hispanic Black people remained substantially below the Healthy People 2030 goal. Study findings suggest that addressing financial barriers and targeted messaging may help improve uptake.
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Quantifying the Cost of Measles Outbreak in the U.S. and How Costs Scale with Outbreak Size | medRxiv – Researchers performed a systematic review to examine the cost of measles outbreaks in 18 states between 2000–2025. They found that the average cost per case was approximately $43,000, ranging from just under $7,000 to more than $243,000.
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This full-day, hybrid event on Thursday, March 19, is your best opportunity this year to collaborate with, learn from, and connect with public health professionals, health-care providers, community leaders, and advocates dedicated to strengthening immunization efforts across Washington.
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Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 (Full-day event)
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Hybrid Location: Greater Tacoma Convention Center or Online Webinar
- Registration is Open!
Attending in person? Enjoy a complimentary lunch and a dedicated networking reception following the event!
What You'll Gain: Summit Highlights
- Practical tools and strategies to promote and deliver vaccines
- Stories and successes from Washington’s immunization community
- Insights from recent public-health initiatives and campaigns
- Emerging trends and best practices for diverse populations
Spaces are limited for both in-person and virtual attendance. Secure your spot today and be part of advancing immunizations through science, technology and teamwork.
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Vaccines and the Prevention of Bacterial Sepsis
Date: November 6, 2025
Time: 11:00 am PST
Register: Sepsis Alliance Institute: Vaccines and the Prevention of Bacterial Sepsis
This informative webinar hosted by the Sepsis Alliance explores the essential role vaccines play in reducing the prevalence and burden of bacterial sepsis. This presentation highlights how immunization strategies disrupt the pathways that lead to severe infection, the rigorous processes that ensure vaccine safety and effectiveness in the fight against life-threatening illness, as well as key factors influencing vaccine confidence and hesitancy. CME and RN CE credits are available.
What's New with the Flu?
Date: November 13, 2025
Time: 10:00 am PST
Register: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Join Immunize Colorado as they host Dr. Suchitra Rao, MBBS, MSCS, for her annual update on the 2025-20256 flu season, as well as other important information about respiratory virus season and vaccinations.
Speak with Confidence: Immunization Recommendations During Pregnancy and Beyond
Date: November 19, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm PST
Register: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Join Vax Northwest to learn from experts about vaccine recommendations for pregnant patients and newborns. CE credit has been requested for nurses and licensed midwives and the webinar will be recorded. Open to midwives, nurses, medical assistants, OB GYNs, all prenatal care providers and anyone else interested in the topic.
Stay Ahead: Respiratory Vaccines for Healthy Aging
2025-2026 Respiratory Season News Briefing Series
Date: December 3, 2025
Time: 9:00 am PST
Register: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Join the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) in these monthly news briefings that feature leading experts who provide clarity and guidance on the most pressing respiratory disease prevention and treatment issues. December’s briefing will focus on older adults. Alongside clinical expertise, you’ll hear from older adults and their caregivers, sharing personal stories and lessons learned from navigating respiratory illness.
Strength in Prevention: Vaccines Recommended for People with Chronic Conditions
2025-2026 Respiratory Season News Briefing Series
Date: January 14, 2026
Time: 9:00 am PST
Register: Webinar Registration - Zoom
The NFID Respiratory Season News Briefing Series continues into the new year with a critical conversation focused on people living with chronic health conditions and underlying health issues. This session will underscore why vaccination is essential for individuals managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, lung conditions, and more. Expert panelists will be joined by individuals with chronic health conditions sharing their personal journeys – highlighting how timely vaccination can make all the difference. Equip yourself with the latest insights and practical steps to help protect those most at risk this respiratory season.
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DOH VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS
WHERE TO GET VACCINATED
COVID-19
FOR EVERYONE
FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS & PARTNERS
FLU
RSV
RESPIRATORY ILLNESS DATA
FOR INDUSTRY
FOR SCHOOLS & CHILD CARE FACILITIES
FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
FOR HEALTH PARTNERS
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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 October 19, 2025, and was sent out on October 31, 2025. |
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