White House

• 4/8/22: Statement by White House COVID-⁠19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients on American Lives Saved by the COVID-⁠19 Vaccination Program - A new study out today from the Commonwealth Fund shows that President Biden’s relentless efforts to get Americans vaccinated saved millions of American lives. The vaccination campaign saved 2.2 million American lives, prevented 17 million hospitalizations, prevented 66 million COVID-19 cases, and avoided $900 billion in health care costs.
• 4/5/22: The Biden Administration Accelerates Whole-of-Government Effort to Prevent, Detect, and Treat Long COVID - President Biden issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate a new effort across the federal government to develop and issue the first-ever interagency national research action plan on Long COVID. The effort will advance progress in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and provision of services, supports, and interventions for individuals experiencing Long COVID and associated conditions. The Presidential Memorandum also directs HHS to issue a report outlining services and supports across federal agencies to assist people experiencing Long COVID, individuals who are dealing with a COVID-related loss, and people who are experiencing mental health and substance use issues related to the pandemic. This report will specifically address the long-term effects of COVID-19 on high-risk communities and efforts to address disparities in access to services and supports.

HHS

• Liability Immunity for Vaccinators during the COVID-19 Pandemic (PREP Act)
  • HHS and our partners have received questions about liability protections for vaccinators (including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns). Qualified vaccinators are identified within the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act in relation to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)-declared Public Health Emergency (PHE) specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. These COVID-19 vaccinator liability protections are in place through October 1, 2024, for providers who administer covered countermeasures (including a COVID-19 vaccine currently authorized or approved for use in the United States by FDA) that are related to any federal agreement regardless of the date that HHS determines not to renew the PHE for this pandemic.
  • The full list of qualified people identified in the PREP Act and defined as the COVID-19 Vaccination Workforce can be found in the ASPR Fact Sheet.
  • The specific language from the PREP Act Declaration is provided in Sections VII(a) and XII:
    • Section XII states, “Liability protections for …. Covered Countermeasures… through means of distribution identified in Section VII(a) of this Declaration, begin on February 4, 2020, and extend through October 1, 2024.”
    • The means of distribution identified in Section VII(a) are “Covered Countermeasures that are related to present or future federal contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, other transactions, interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other federal agreements.”
    • Thus, administration of covered countermeasures related to any federal agreement, such as the provider agreements for administration of COVID-19 vaccines, is covered through October 1, 2024.
    • Information may be updated as circumstances change.

FDA

•  4/8/22:Joint Statement from CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., on Ensuring Access to Safe and Effective Treatments

• For questions about VaxMaX and its functionality, please visit the VaxMaX Help website, which includes reference guides and tutorial videos.

• Check out our complete list of COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Best Practices and our Lightning Learnings: Best Practices for Busy Providers!

Upcoming Events

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• Project Firstline Training Sessions - Join VDH's Project Firstline team for the following watch party sessions that cover infection prevention & control topics. Participate in a Livestream of PFL training content and discuss topics within a watch party group.
  • Thu April 14 at 1-1:30 pm Injection Safety: register here
  • Thu April 21 at 1-1:30 pm PPE Basics: register here

• The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Emergency Preparedness is partnering with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services and the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association to conduct a virtual Community Based Emergency Response Seminar (CBERS)  this month. 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 respond to and care 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.
  • Target Audience: General Public Workers, Healthcare Workers, Emergency Management Workers, Disaster Shelter Workers, EMS/Fire Workers, Law Enforcement, Local Health Districts, VDH Staff, Clergy, Educators, Volunteers, Contractors, Retail Workers, and anyone working during COVID-19 who feels they have been affected by the pandemic.
  • For those who register for the live webinar, a link will be sent before the program. For more information, see: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-preparedness/cbers-2022-mental-health-the-rippling-effects-of-covid-19/ or contact Adreania Tolliver at adreania.tolliver@vdh.virginia.gov.
  • Webinar Dates:
    • April 26th, 6pm to 8pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/220036072817
    • April 30th, 9am to 11am https://www.eventbrite.com/e/220076975157
  • Registration: Registration is required for each attendee. Please only register for one date to attend.
  • Cost: Free
  • CEUs: None offered at this time.

• VDH External Web Updates

• • If you are sick webpage: Updated with minor language edits and moving of CDC and FDA links in Ivermectin section and MIS section
  • General FAQs:
    • New Section - Child Care Programs: COVID-19 Testing
    • Deltacron (XD) variant
    • Reporting outbreaks in schools or child care settings
    • Updated covid.gov links
    • EVUSHELD dosing update
    • FDA hold on the Emergency Use Authorization for sotrovimab
    • Schools K-12 Test to Stay program
    • Alternative resources for uninsured individuals; end of HRSA funding
  • VDH's Current COVID-19 Topics page (formerly Situation Summary) has been retired and is being rerouted to the main VDH Coronavirus page.
  • CDC’s Recommendations for COVID-19 Close Contacts infographic -  Added to replace “VDH Exposed to COVID-19” infographic
  • Childcare and Day Camps - Updated language related to outbreak reporting in childcare facilities to clarify the requirement to report suspected outbreaks of any illness, including COVID-19
  • CDC's Recommendations for People with COVID-19 infographic -  Added New infographic to replace 'What you need to know' infographic
  • CDC sheet on testing and early treatment -  New document added with translations (Arabic, French, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese)