Welcome!
Welcome to the first edition of Public Health – Seattle & King County’s vaccine newsletter written specifically for assisted living, nursing homes, and skilled nursing facilities. Our goal is to provide news and resources related to vaccinations and communicable disease prevention several times per year. Please share this newsletter with colleagues and encourage them to subscribe HERE!
Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19, Flu, and RSV Recommendations
Fall marks the start of respiratory virus season, when flu, COVID-19, and RSV create a triple threat. The good news? There are vaccines to protect against serious illness from all three viruses. And you can safely get all of the vaccines at the same time.
Talk with your residents, families, and staff about fall and winter vaccinations. Schedule a clinic with your pharmacy or order doses to administer.
Who’s eligible?
Updated COVID-19 and flu vaccine recommendations:
- Everyone ages 6-months and older should get updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines, even if you got vaccinated before.
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Three flu vaccines are recommended for people ages 65 and older.
RSV vaccine, updated recommendations:
- Everyone 75 years and older should receive one RSV vaccine dose.
- Adults ages 60-74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV should also receive one RSV vaccine dose. People at increased risk include individuals who:
- have a chronic heart or lung disease, a weakened immune system, certain medical conditions (including severe obesity and severe diabetes),
- live in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility. *Please note, living in an assisted living facility is not a risk factor.
For more information see:
COVID-19 Interim Clinic Considerations, CDC
Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools (immunize.org)
Influenza Vaccination: A Summary for Clinicians, CDC
RSV Vaccine Guidance for Older Adults
Checklist for Safe Vaccine Storage and Handling, immunize.org
Resources for Long-term Care Facilities | Washington State Department of Health
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Settings Toolkit (wa.gov)
Vaccine Tracker Tools for ALF/SNF Residents and Staff
Our partners at Comagine Health developed spreadsheet tools to track the immunization status of your residents and staff. The worksheets track dates of COVID-19, flu, pneumococcal, and RSV vaccinations, as well as TB testing. They also provide helpful summaries to easily see the number/percent up to date. Comagine resources are free to download.
Residents Immunization Tracker | Comagine Health
Staff Immunization Tracker | Comagine Health
Talking with Residents and Staff About Vaccines
Talking with residents and staff about vaccines can be challenging! Sometimes, approaching the conversation with curiosity and empathy can help people feel comfortable sharing their concerns. Asking about their thoughts on vaccinations and answering questions may help them gain confidence in vaccines over time.
See the resources below for strategies to increase vaccine confidence and tips for motivational interviewing:
Vaccinate with Confidence Adults in Long-term Care Settings (wa.gov)
Talking with Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC
Respiratory Virus Resources (naccho.org)
Learn more about answers to common questions: Fall and winter vaccines: Q&A with Dr. Eric Chow – PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER
Vaccine Resources for Insured & Uninsured Staff & Family Members
Encouraging colleagues to stay up to date with vaccinations and sharing resources on vaccine availability can help keep everyone healthy this fall and winter. On-site clinics for staff make it easy to find time to get vaccinated. Offering community vaccination resources and perhaps an extra hour of PTO for vaccine appointments are also great ways to support your staff!
Please share the resources below to help staff and their families find COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines.
Where to get vaccinated:
- Healthcare providers, including Community Health Centers (CHCs)
- Pharmacies
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School Based Health Centers (for school-aged children, all services are free)
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Find a CVP provider near you: In Washington state, all children ages 0 to 18 can receive all routinely recommended vaccines at no cost from a healthcare provider that participates in the Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP). You may be charged an administration fee (a charge for delivering the vaccine), but you don’t have to pay if you can’t afford it.
What if my staff are uninsured?
If you are uninsured, there are limited quantities of no-cost COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccine available through Washington State’s Adult Vaccine Program (AVP) and through mobile vaccine clinics. AVP COVID-19 vaccine is available if your insurance doesn’t fully cover the cost of vaccination. No-cost vaccines are also available at mobile clinics throughout King County.
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AVP Program: Ask your pharmacy or healthcare provider if they participate in AVP. Or the Department of Health maintains a map of AVP providers (select “Adult Provider” and “Adult and Child Provider” in the menu at the top left corner of the map). Call in advance to confirm vaccine availability. Some providers may require that you register as a patient and make an appointment.
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Mobile clinics: For a list of no-cost vaccine clinics and to see if your family is eligible, visit the Where to Get Vaccinated in King County webpage and look under “Find a Vaccine Clinic”. The page is regularly updated as new clinics are added. Check in advance for specific vaccine availability, cost, and to make an appointment. For more information: gov/findaclinic
Need help enrolling in health insurance or finding a healthcare provider?
Contact the Community Health Access Program at chap@kingcounty.gov or call 1-800-756-5437.
No-Cost In-Home COVID-19 Vaccinations
Does your facility discharge residents who might have difficultly accessing vaccinations? Homebound individuals may qualify for King County’s In-Home COVID-19 Vaccine Program. The program offers COVID-19 vaccines this fall. Flu vaccines may be co-administered when available. Most health insurance plans are accepted (Kaiser Permanente plans are out of network). Free COVID-19 vaccinations are available for anyone who is uninsured or who has insurance that doesn’t fully cover the cost of vaccination.
Individuals or family members may call 206-848-0243 or email vaccineinfo@kingcounty.gov to request an in-home vaccine appointment. In-Home COVID-19 Vaccination Flyers in multiple languages can be downloaded from King County’s COVID-19 materials for the community page.
Please share this information with your social work department and discharging nurses.
Continued Support for Respiratory Illness Outbreaks
Has your facility experienced recent cases of COVID-19, flu, or RSV? Public Health – Seattle & King County is here to help!
Please complete the HIPPA-compliant Respiratory Illness Survey or call 206-296-4774 and we will connect you to resources. Follow the reporting criteria for healthcare facilities.
COVIDTests.gov Re-Starts Free Distribution to Households
Households are eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. COVID-19 tests detect current COVID-19 variants. Many COVID-19 tests can be used after the expiration date printed on the box. To find out if your test has an extended expiration date, check the list of extended expiration dates.
Please share this information with staff and family members.
Free COVID-19 Tests for LTCFs Distributed by HHS
Free COVID-19 tests are being distributed through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Abbott BinaxNOW Test Kit Program. Skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities will continue to receive or may be eligible to start receiving free monthly shipments of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test kits. The program is anticipated to continue through 2025. Facilities MUST have a CLIA waiver to be eligible to receive these kits.
For more information and to adjust the number (more/less) or pause delivery see:
Still Available: Free COVID-19 Tests from HHS - Washington Health Care Association (whca.org)
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