NASW has put out many resources that provide guidance during this
challenging time. Some available resources that might address your
questions include:
As
you are likely aware, ACIP met yesterday and strongly supported new
recommendations to simplify covid-19 vaccinations. The following message
which followed that meeting provides straightforward and simplified
recommendations you can share with your members:
Following FDA regulatory action yesterday,
CDC has taken steps to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and
allow more flexibility for people at higher risk who want the option to
receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose.
CDC’s
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met today
to discuss these COVID-19 vaccine recommendation changes, and the
associated implications and implementation. Although there was no vote
at this meeting, ACIP members expressed their support for these
recommendations.
These changes include:
- CDC’s
new recommendations allow an additional updated (bivalent) vaccine dose
for adults ages 65 years and older and additional doses for people who
are immunocompromised. This allows more flexibility for healthcare
providers to administer additional doses to immunocompromised patients
as needed.
- Monovalent (original) COVID-19 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for use in the United States.
- CDC
recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older receive an updated
(bivalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they previously
completed their (monovalent) primary series.
oIndividuals
ages 6 years and older who have already received an updated mRNA
vaccine do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older
or immunocompromised.
oFor
young children, multiple doses continue to be recommended and will vary
by age, vaccine, and which vaccines were previously received.
Alternatives
to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain available for people who cannot or
will not receive an mRNA vaccine. CDC’s recommendations for use of
(monovalent) Novavax or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19
vaccines were not affected by the changes made today.
CDC
and ACIP will continue to monitor COVID-19 disease levels and vaccine
effectiveness in the months ahead and look forward to additional
discussion around potential updates this fall.
In the coming days, CDC will update our website, including the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States and additional COVID-19 vaccine webpages.
Updated COVID-19 Booster Eligibility for Children 6 Months - 4 Year
- On March 16th, CDC expanded its recommendation
to allow children ages 6 months through 4 years who previously
completed the full 3-dose monovalent Pfizer COVID-19 primary vaccination
series to now receive a booster dose of Pfizer’s updated (bivalent)
COVID-19 vaccine.
- This
change only applies to the approximately 350,000 children who were
early adopters of Pfizer’s 3-dose COVID-19 vaccine primary series.
However, the update means that all children in this age group are now
eligible to receive an updated vaccine, either through completion of
their primary series or through a booster dose.
|
|
Adolescent Immunization Action Week takes place April 3 – 7. CDC will promote the importance of adolescent vaccination with social
media to parents and health care providers. Unity Consortium has
developed a toolkit with resources and plans for each day of the week.
There’s more information on
CDC’s web page and Unity’s web site.
|
|
|
CDC Updates and Resources
|
Any updates on H5N1 bird flu? On March 17th, CDC published a Technical Report online summarizing the H5N1 bird flu situation in the U.S. and CDC’s response: Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses (cdc.gov).
CDC also posted a web spotlight
on a workshop held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this week organized
jointly by the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health
Organization, and the Pan American Foot and Mouth Disease Center, to
discuss improving the region’s capacity to detect and respond to avian
influenza A H5 outbreaks in wild birds and poultry.
What’s the ACIP and how do they make recommendations? Understanding the ACIP and How Vaccine Recommendations are Made in the US
video is short and engaging as it explains how the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP) plays a critical role in protecting the
nation’s health. This tool is a great way to build understanding about
the process the ACIP uses in developing and approving vaccine
recommendations. Learn who makes up the ACIP, how recommendations are
made, and why these recommendations become the standards of care in the
U.S.
National Infant Immunization Week, which takes place April 24 – 30. CDC is activating “Let’s Play Catch Up” a mini-digital campaign
throughout April, May, and June to help address declines in coverage, as
demonstrated in the findings from the January MMWRs on NIS-Child Survey
data and kindergarten vaccination coverage. This is a part of our
“Let’s Rise” initiative
and we look forward to sharing those updated resources with you all
soon. Planning is also underway for a Back-to-School/”Let’s Catch Up”
campaign July – September, so stay tuned for more information.
What's new in CDC's COVID Data Tracker?
Let’s Spring into Action! Recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines
for kids can be confusing. The pediatric vaccines and boosters were
introduced by age group, and there are slightly different
recommendations by manufacturer and for children who are
immunocompromised. Children of different ages in the same family might
not have the same COVID-19 vaccine schedules. The new guidance will make
it easier to figure out if your kids are
up to date or when they should get their next shot.
|
|
Don't forget to check out...
Want to learn more about addressing misinformation and facilitating health behaviors? The
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium has an upcoming 2-part Learning
Collaborative Series happening April 14th and 28th at 1-2:30 PM EST.
During the pandemic, misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine made
pandemic management even more challenging. Misinformation was the
primary reason for COVID vaccine hesitance. This 2-part series will
highlight the relationship between health literacy and medical
misinformation and the factors influencing a person's vulnerability to
misinformation. Participants will be able to practice communication
skills to address the misinformation and facilitate healthy behaviors.
Learn more and register for the event. [Note: 1.5 CME/CNE credits are being offered per session]
How are heart disease and COVID-19 connected? Join
the free Zoom webinar on March 28th at 6-7:30 PM EST to learn about how
heart disease & COVID-19 are connected, how to stay vigilant for
our heart health, and how to get involved to promote heart research and
vaccine equity in our communities!
Register for this event.
Hear more about adverse events. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will
review the epidemiological, clinical, and biological evidence regarding
the relationship between COVID-19 vaccines and specific adverse events,
as well as the relationship between intramuscular administration of
vaccines and shoulder injuries. A virtual public comment session will be
held on Thursday, March 30th from 12-1:15 PM ET.
The livestream of the event will be available.
A Conversation about Vaccination with Young Advocates
Join
us for a webinar with teen vaccination advocates moderated by Dr.
Chelsea Clinton and featuring Dr. Paul Offit. April 4th @ 12PM ET.
Register for Webinar Here
Dr.
Clinton and Dr. Offit will discuss challenges in closing the gap in
adolescent vaccination and talk with teen advocates about their needs
and challenges in helping adolescents advocate for their health.
Looking for events and funding opportunities? Check your inbox for a message with the subject, “Your Partnering Quick Update”
|
We
thank all our partners for their efforts in public health. COVID-19 has
brought great challenges that have tested all of us, and we appreciate
all the hard work that you continue to put forth.
|
|
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd Atlanta, GA 30329 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: 888-232-6348
|
|
|
|
Please find recent COVID-19-related news headlines of note:
AP News: FDA Clears Extra COVID Booster for Some High-Risk Americans
https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccine-booster-bivalent-a80a6f3dbb39e66053e2b7129077f43b
FDA Authorizes Additional Omicron Covid Booster for Seniors and People with Weak Immune Systems
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/18/covid-seniors-immunocompromised-can-receive-additional-omicron-shots.html
What Experts Want You to Know About Arcturus, the New COVID Variant
Arcturus Is the New COVID Variant of Concern—What to Know (prevention.com)
Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Shown to be Highly Effective in Reducing Deaths and Hospitalizations
Bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine shown to be highly effective in reducing deaths and hospitalizations (medicalxpress.com)
How Often Should People Get COVID Boosters? – Scientific American
How Often Should People Get COVID Boosters? - Scientific American
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Ethics-Education-and-Resources/Ethics-8/Coronavirus-8-Ethical-Considerations-for-Social-Workers,
https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=evgx77RtVLI%3d&portalid=0,
https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Infectious-Diseases/Coronavirus/Telehealth
We have an additional set of tips on “ethical considerations when
providing telehealth” that will be available. In addition, the
standards in the
Code remain relevant and are a great resource. As you may know, many of the new standards are related to the use of technology.
Finally, If a person has a specific question, we continue to provide
ethics consultations 4 days per week. You can always direct questions
to the ethics consultation resource at
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Ethics-Education-and-Resources/Ethics-Consultations.
NASW-KY Chapter COVID-19 Resources and Links:
https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19
Hospitals:https://www.officialusa.com/stateguides/health/hospitals/kentucky.html
Schools:Kentucky Department of Education Covid Information and Resources:https://education.ky.gov/comm/Pages/COVID-19-Updates.aspx
Kentucky colleges, universities, and technical/junior colleges:
https://kctcs.edu/our-colleges/
https://www.universityreview.org/kentucky-colleges/
http://cpe.ky.gov/campuses/state.html
Criminal Legal system:
Kentucky Court of Justice:
https://kycourts.gov/pages/index.aspx
Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet:
https://justice.ky.gov/Departments-Agencies/GMD/Pages/cjsac.aspx
Child Welfare:
KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services:
https://chfs.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx
KY Department of Behavioral Health and Residential Services:
https://dbhdid.ky.gov/ddid/scl-services.aspx
Mental Health:https://www.rtor.org/directory/mental-health-kentucky/
https://mhttcnetwork.org/centers/southeast-mhttc/kentucky-state-mental-health-resources
www.mhaky.org
www.namiky.org
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/stateprofiles-providers/kentucky/index.html
Faith based communities:
http://www.kycouncilofchurches.org/coalitions-partners
Kentucky libraries and resource centers:
https://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/Pages/LibraryDirectory.aspx
______________________________________________________________________________
HHCK Homeless & Housing Coalition of Kentucky COVID19 Resources and Services:
https://www.hhck.org/covid19-response
**Kentucky Refugee and Immigrant Resources and Services:
https://louisville.edu/law/bhrap/for-service-providers/noncitizen-and-refugee-services-inkentucky#:~:text=Kentucky%20Office%20for%20Refugees%20Services%3A%20Refuge%20resettlement%20services,community%20resources%2C%20elder%20services%2C%20%22Hearts%20and%20Hands%22%2C%20an
**Kentucky Area Agency on Aging Resources:
Aging & Disability Resource Center:
https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dail/Pages/adrc.aspx
Area Agencies on Aging & Independent Living
https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dail/Pages/aaail.aspx
Resources for individuals who work in long term care settings:
https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/os/oig/dhc/Pages/cvltc.aspx
**COVID toolkit for pregnant people, babies and new parents:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/toolkits/pregnant-peopleand-new-parents.html
Kentucky has reduced restrictions on telehealth services to ensure that needed services are provied to vulnerable populations.
COVID resources for individuals with allergies, asthma and related conditions, including vaccines for children/ https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/health-a-z/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-resources/https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dehp/Pages/vfc.aspx
**How to find a vaccine sight via text message:00000000000
(English) Text your zip code to GETVAX-438829 to receive 3 vaccine locations near you.
(Spanish) Text your zip code to VACUNA-822862 to receive 3 vaccine locations in your area.
**Kentucky Health Center COVID-19 Survey Summary Report-HRSA Health Centers:Patients by Race and EthnicityLatest data from June 3, 2022
https://bphc.hrsa.gov/data-reporting/health-center-covid-19-survey/ky
____________________________________________________________
**KY Social Work Associations across Kentucky worked together to provide resources and share information about COVID19 on websites and Facebook:
Kentucky Society for Clinical Social Work:https://www.kscsw.org/
Kentucky Association for School Social Workers:https://www.kassw.org/
National Association for Black Social Workers – Bowling Green and Central Kentucky chapters
Kentucky Association of Social Work Educators:https://www.facebook.com/groups/137343793693405/
Kentucky Social Work Advocacy Network: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kswan/
National Association of Social Workers – Kentucky chapter:brosen.naswky@socialworkers.org
Kentucky Board of Social Work:https://bsw.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx
_____________________________________________________________________________
- Identify local/state vaccine confidence community outreach efforts already underway:
https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19
The COVID-19 Hotline (800) 722-5725 can answer general COVID-19 and vaccine questions. Live agents are available:
Monday - Friday 8am to 5pm EST
Powered by Translate
Kentucky Coronavirus Monitoring
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) has coordinated state guidance with the recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As CDC transitions to the new “COVID-19 Community Level” model that uses the number of new COVID-19 cases in each county, percent of hospital capacity devoted to COVID-19 patients and the number of new patients with COVID-19 admitted to the hospital in the past week, KDPH will be using this tool to help Kentuckians be informed of the COVID-19 impact in their communities. KDPH created the Community Level COVID-19 Guidance to align with the new community level model. This guidance provides Kentuckians with actions to take related to their local level of community burden. KDPH will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 data and provide weekly updates on the KDPH COVID-19 website. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation as we learn to live with COVID-19 and work to keep Kentuckians safe. For more information on the new tool provided by CDC, please visit the CDC website: COVID-19 by County.
The COVID-19 Hotline (800) 722-5725 can answer general COVID-19 vaccine questions.
- Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC
View CDC FAQs
- Kentucky Department for Pubic Health Guidance
Learn More
- How to talk about COVID-19 vaccines with friends and family
Learn More
- COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard & Data
View the Kentucky Covid-19 Vaccine Dashboard for vaccine data and interactive map.
View Dashboard
- Vaccine Provider Guidance
Kentucky’s guidance and resources for vaccine providers.
Learn More
- Have you lost or misplaced the card you were given when you received your COVID-19 vaccine?
Learn More
-
KENTUCKY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS: NASW-KY has compiled a 60 page list of every health department in Kentucky as a resource for social workers.The website is extensive and offers updated information about Covid safety and vaccinations:
https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dafm/Pages/lhd.aspx
Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund:
The Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund is offering tenants help paying past due rent and utility bills. Learn more about the program and submit an application.
Apply Here
The Feeding America nationwide network of food banks and food programs helps millions of people find food and grocery help in their communities every year. Connect with your local food bank to learn about upcoming free food distributions and to apply for national food programs.
https://www.feedingamerica.org/search/node?&q=kentuckyBottom of Form
Resources
COVID-19 Related Actions taken by Gov. Andy Beshear
FEMA Funeral Assistance Program
Telehealth Program
COVID-19 Survivor Support Information
FDA: Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019
KDPH Food Safety Branch
Kentucky Department of Education
Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH)
_______________________
Wonderful resources from Mental Health America of Kentucky:
_____________________
https://www.ncchc.org/blog/covid-19-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know-in-corrections