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COVID-19 Resources

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 logo

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.

ACIP on US map

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.

Let's RiSE banner

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.

kids in masks illustration

What's new in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)?

School-Based Interventions to Increase Student COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage in Public School Populations with Low Coverage — Seattle, Washington, December 2021–June 2022 | MMWR (cdc.gov)

Bottom Line: Seattle Public Schools implemented a COVID-19 vaccination program through multiple community engagements. During December 2021–June 2022, completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccination series among Seattle Public Schools students aged 5–18 years increased from 56.5% to 80.3%.

Additional Reports and Resources:

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.

South Asian Heart Health and COVID-19

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

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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

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**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

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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

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.

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Resources

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)