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6/27/25 Health Update – Measles
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, Measles, News and Alerts, News and Update, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesBackground Whatcom County Health and Community Services has confirmed two cases of measles in residents of Whatcom County. Cases are part of the same household. Risk to the general community is considered low at this time. We continue to evaluate suspected cases and coordinate testing if indicated. Requested Actions for Healthcare Providers Immediately report suspected…
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03/07/22 Health Advisory: Update on Johnson & Johnson vaccine ordering and guidance for healthcare settings
Advisory or Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Immunizations, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware, on March 4, Washington State Department of Health (DOH) discontinued ordering Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine because inventory is very low at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Washington Immunization Information System (IIS). We encourage providers to post and look for available doses on IIS vaccine advertisement page. Email…
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03/01/2022 Provider Alert: UPDATE – COVID-19 Therapies
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Health Alert, MERS-CoV, News and Alerts, News and Update, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider Resources, SchoolsRequested Actions Be aware, providers should contact and re-dose patients who previously received the 150mg Evushield dose (see below) Be Aware, supply of COVID-19 therapeutics is not currently limited in Whatcom County. While COVID-19 case rates are decreasing in Whatcom County, some patients may benefit from therapeutics. Decision to prescribe should be based on clinical…
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02/25/22 Health Advisory: COVID-19 Updates for Providers
Requested actions Be aware, on Feb. 22, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its COVID-19 vaccine clinical considerations. An 8-week interval between first and second doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna and Pfizer) may be optimal for males 12–39 years old to reduce risk of myocarditis and increase efficacy. CDC still recommends a…
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02/16/22 Health Advisory: CDC Updated COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines, and More.
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Health Alert, Immunization, Immunizations, Infection Control, News and Alerts, News and Update, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider Resources, VaccineRequested Actions Be aware, on February 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance for COVID-19 vaccination to include: For people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised: People who have completed a primary series of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) are recommended to receive an mRNA booster dose 3 months (instead…
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02/14/22 Health Advisory: CDC Updated Covid-19 Vaccination Guidelines; FDA Postponed its pediatric Covid-19 Vaccination Review
COVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, on February 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance for COVID-19 vaccination to include: For people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised: People who have completed a primary series of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) are recommended to receive an mRNA booster…
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02/02/22 Health Advisory: FDA Provides Full Approval For Spikevax
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Health Alert, Immunization, Immunizations, News and Alerts, News and Update, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider Resources, Schools, VaccineRequested Actions Be aware, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full authorization to Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 years or older. Evidence shows the vaccine is safe and effective and manufactured with high quality. The vaccine will now be called Spikevax but has the same formulation as emergency use authorization (EUA) Moderna COVID-19…
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02/01/22 Health Advisory: FDA Provides Full Approval For Spikevax
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Notifiable Conditions, Provider Resources, UncategorizedCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full authorization to Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 years or older. Evidence shows the vaccine is safe and effective and manufactured with high quality. The vaccine will now be called Spikevax but has the same formulation as emergency use…
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01/08/22 Health Advisory: CDC updated Antiviral Guidance; Booster Eligibility Expanded
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Alert, Immunization, Infection Control, News and Alerts, News and Update, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Provider Resources, Schools, Vaccine, WCHD Epi WatchCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Updated Antiviral Guidance Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment recommendations. Sotrovimab monoclonal antibody formulation retains significant efficacy against Omicron, the dominant circulating variant. Other monoclonal antibody formulations under emergency use authorization (EUA)—bamlanivimab and etesevimab and casirivimab and imdevimab—lack clinical benefit…
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01/06/22 Health Advisory: Booster Eligibility Expanded
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Immunizations, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP’s) decision to strongly recommend a single Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for people 12–17 years old at least 5 months after their primary series. This expands the age of booster access and strengthens…
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01/04/22 Health Advisory: CDC updated antiviral guidance
Advisory or Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment recommendations. Sotrovimab monoclonal antibody formulation retains significant efficacy against Omicron, the dominant circulating variant. Other monoclonal antibody formulations under emergency use authorization (EUA)—bamlanivimab and etesevimab and casirivimab and imdevimab—lack clinical benefit against Omicron and…
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12/29/21 Health Advisory: COVID-19 Updates for Providers – New I&Q Guidance, FDA grants EUA to Molnupiravir
COVID-19, Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Health Alert, Infection Control, News and UpdateRequested actions Be aware that the community testing site in Whatcom has decreased capacity due to staffing and weather conditions. Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new isolation and quarantine (I&Q) guidance for healthcare workers (HCWs). The guidance is complex and varies based on vaccination status, level of exposure and level…
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12/22/21 Health Advisory: Paxlovid granted EUA and Testing before gathering
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Health Alert, Immunization, Immunizations, Infection Control, News and Alerts, News and Update, Notifiable Conditions, Novel Coronavirus, Prevention, Provider Resources, Schools, Travel, VaccineCOVID-19 Updates for Providers Requested actions Be aware, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the first oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19, Pfizer’s Paxlovid. The EUA comes after research showed Paxlovid was nearly 90% effective at preventing hospitalization and death in people 12 years or older at high risk of severe…