COVID-19 Vaccine Providers Newsletter 03.31.2022

Posted on by Daniel Harker

** Alert**

  • Due to a lack of additional COVID funding from Congress,The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program stopped accepting claims for testing and treatment March 22, 2022.  The Uninsured Program and the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund will also stop accepting vaccination claims due to a lack of additional COVID funding from Congress on April 5, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET. Vaccines should be provided to all persons regardless of insurance status.  Ongoing conversations are happening to find a funding solution.

FDA

  • The FDA authorized and CDC updated recommendations to allow for immunocompromised and certain adults the choice to receive a 2nd booster dose of an mRNA vaccine.

CDC

  • On March 30, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their Interim Clinical Considerations for the Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States with new recommendations for certain adults and moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals.
    • People aged 12 years or older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may choose to receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after the first booster dose.
    • Adults aged 50 years and older who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised may choose to receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after the first booster dose.
    • Adults aged 18–49 years who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised and who received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine as both their primary series dose and booster dose may receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after the first J&J/Janssen booster dose.
      • If the adult is aged 18–49 and received a J&J/Janssen primary dose and an mRNA booster, no 2nd booster is currently recommended.
      • If the adult is aged 50 years or older and received a J&J/Janssen primary dose and an mRNA booster, they can receive a 2nd mRNA booster 4 months after the previous booster dose.
      • The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Standing Order has been revised to reflect these updates.
  • On Friday, March 25, FDA announced that the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody sotrovimab is no longer authorized for use in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont (HHS Region 1); and New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (HHS Region 2) due to the high frequency of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant. New data in the healthcare provider fact sheet shows that the authorized dose for sotrovimab is unlikely to be effective against the BA.2 subvariant. CDC Nowcast data estimates that the BA.2 subvariant accounts for more than 50% of cases in regions 1 and 2.
  • On Wednesday, March 30, FDA announced that sotrovimab is no longer authorized for use in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin (HHS Region 5); Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau (HHS Region 9); and Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (HHS Region 10). This action was taken because the estimated proportion of COVID-19 cases caused by BA.2 in these regions is over 50%.
  • According to the most recent CDC Nowcast data from March 29, the BA.2 subvariant is estimated to account for 48.3% of cases in HHS Region 3 (Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania).  Although sotrovimab continues to be authorized for use in Region 3, medical providers may wish to use Paxlovid preferentially for the treatment of COVID-19. This is consistent with the NIH Treatment Panel recommendations.

WHO

  • Strengthening COVID-19 vaccine demand and uptake in refugees and migrants - An operational guide to support all those responsible for planning and implementing the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine to refugees and migrants at national and local levels, March 14, 2022.
    • Developed based on global evidence and expertise, this guide provides actionable recommendations, strategies and good practices for understanding and addressing individual, social and practical or logistical barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among refugee and migrant populations, acknowledging the context-specific barriers they experience that need to be better considered by policy-makers and planners.
    • The guide is intended to support policy-makers, planners and implementers at national and local levels, including in governments, nongovernmental organizations, WHO country offices and other stakeholders responsible for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to refugee and migrant populations.
    • It aims to support the operationalization of the recent WHO interim guidance COVID-19 Immunization in Refugees and Migrants: Principles and Key Considerations.

ImmunizeVA Survey

  • Please take 5 minutes to complete this anonymous survey conducted by ImmunizeVA. It is designed to get your current thoughts and opinions regarding receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and recommending it to your patients. You may exit out of the survey at any time.
  • For questions about VaxMaX and its functionality, please visit the VaxMaX Help website, which includes reference guides and tutorial videos.

Best Practice Spotlight

Upcoming Events

  • FDA announced a virtual meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) on Wednesday, April 6, from 8:30 am to 5 pm to discuss considerations for future COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and the process for selecting specific strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus for COVID-19 vaccines to address current and emerging variants. No vote is planned at this meeting and there will not be discussion of any product-specific applications. The meeting will be livestreamed for the public.
  • The Virginia Department of Health Office of Emergency Preparedness partnered with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services, and Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association to conduct a virtual Community Based Emergency Response Seminar (CBERS) in April 2022. This year’s topic will be Mental Health Wellness and the Rippling Effects of COVID-19. Please join us as we discuss the different mental health issues that can affect us as we tackle responding to and caring for others during this pandemic. Participants will learn about the various types of stress caused by providing care to others during COVID, the difference between burnout and compassion fatigue, self-care, and coping strategies.

Helpful Resources

CDC

  • Questions and Answers About Regular Testing for COVID-19 at School . The video answers common questions regarding ways you can keep your child healthy at school, why it is important for your child to participate in regular COVID-19 testing at school, how children benefit from school-based COVID-19 testing, what your child’s testing experience will be like, and what you should do if your child tests positive for COVID-19

VDH

  • Updated: VDH Mask page - Updated Masks in the Workplace section  - Added "As of March 23, 2022, the Virginia Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19 (“Virginia Standard”) is no longer in effect. See DOLI Announcements for further COVID-19 updates and guidance from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. Workplaces are encouraged to establish a COVID-19 mask policy that aligns with current CDC guidance."
    • Updated: General Recommendation for Businesses - Removed language referencing requirements in the Virginia Standard and outbreak reporting requirements for businesses.
    • Updated: Businesses webpage - Removed language referencing requirements in the Virginia Standard and outbreak reporting requirements for businesses. Removed links to outdated resources.
  • Updated: COVID-19 General FAQs
    • New section on Long COVID was added.
    • New questions were added to address the BA.2 Omicron variant
    • Test to Treat program in long-term care facilities, and finding data on new cases by locality.
    • Revisions involved updating FAQs about Test to Treat program
    • Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air in Buildings Challenge
    • CDC’s Find Free Masks (N95 Respirators) webpage
    • FDA alert for at-home COVID-19 tests
    • Hospitalization rate of children during Omicron peak compared to Delta peak
    • Cruise ship travel guidance
    • TSA mask policy on public transportation extension
    • New HHS laboratory reporting guidance
    • Ivermectin studies
    • HRSA Covid-19 Uninsured Program and HRSA COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund ending
    • CMS testing guidelines
    • CMS visitation guidance
    • DOLI Virginia Standard ending.

Information about the COVID-19 vaccination program is changing frequently. This newsletter will offer regular updates to providers who have submitted an intent to vaccinate or signed the CDC provider agreement within Virginia.

VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Response: Healthcare Professionals Website