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05/23/24 Health Advisory: Pertussis Increasing in Washington
Summary Current situation in Washington In 2023 CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) week 1–18, healthcare providers reported 24 cases of confirmed or probable pertussis in Washington. In this same period in 2024, providers reported 170 cases. This is a 6-fold increase. Multiple health jurisdictions reported increases. DOH (Washington State Department of Health) updates its weekly pertussis update every Friday. Recommendations for…
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09/02/22 Health Advisory: Bivalent Vaccine Booster for COVID-19
Advisory or Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Immunizations, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware: Moderna and Pfizer created bivalent formulations of their mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The bivalent vaccines target the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to the bivalent vaccines for use as a single booster dose. People can get…
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08/25/22 Health Advisory: Monkeypox and COVID-19 Update for Providers
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Infection Control, monkeypox, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Suspect monkeypox virus (MPV) infection in any patient who presents with 1 or more lesions that suggest MPV, regardless of the patient’s age, social history, gender or sexual identity. Several commercial labs, as well as Washington State Public Health Labs (PHL), now test for MPV. PHL updated its MPV specimen collection guidance: Preferred…
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07/28/22 Health Advisory: Novavax Available to Order
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware, Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is now available to order. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted it emergency use authorization (EUA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup approved. EUA covers a 2-dose primary series for people 18 years or older, including those with immune compromise. Booster…
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07/26/22 Health Advisory: Monkeypox Update
We continue to monitor the monkeypox outbreak in Washington and the United States. Report possible monkeypox cases immediately upon suspicion, as Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requires. Call . We will help you complete an intake form and review exposure guidelines to evaluate close contacts. Monkeypox is rare and not often seen in the United States. It can cause a rash…
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06/24/22 Health Advisory: Updated Monkeypox Guidance
Requested actions Immediately report suspected monkeypox cases to Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Call (253) 649‑1412. Consider submitting a suspect monkeypox intake form to help us determine whether to test for monkeypox. Be aware, recent confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States differ from the classic monkeypox presentation of previous outbreaks. To date, all United States…
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06/22/22 Health Advisory: COVID-19 Vaccine for Children as Young as 6 Months
Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, Health Advisory, Immunizations, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesBe aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup concluded COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for children as young as 6 months. Available to children 6 months to 4 years old: Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, in a 3-dose primary series. Be sure to review dosage and vial labeling…
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06/08/22 Health Advisory: Routine childhood immunization rates down
Requested actions Bring your child and adolescent patients’ vaccinations up to date at every opportunity. Contact families who missed well-child visits or childhood vaccinations and ask them to come in for an appointment. Explain to families why it’s important to keep children’s and adolescents’ vaccinations up to date. Review Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…
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05/24/22 Health Advisory: COVID-19 rebound after Paxlovid treatment
Requested actions Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory about COVID-19 rebound after Paxlovid treatment. Continue to offer Paxlovid for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in people at high risk of severe disease. Be aware, providers have reported COVID-19 rebound—recurring symptoms or a new positive test after…
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05/24/22 Health Advisory: Monkeypox virus in non-endemic countries
Advisory or Update, Emerging Diseases and Conditions, Health Advisory, Infection Control, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware, monkeypox virus infections are occurring in non-endemic countries, including 1 case in the United States. Assess for alternative etiologies in conditions causing pox-like lesions—herpes simplex, syphilis, varicella, etc. Report suspected or confirmed monkeypox cases to the Health Department. Call (253) 649-1412. Background Since May 14, 2022, providers have reported clusters of…
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05/20/22 Health Advisory: CDC Recommends 5-11 year olds get a Pfizer COVID-19 Booster
Advisory or Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Immunizations, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommend children 5–11 years old get a booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 5 months after completing their primary series. The recommendation came after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer…
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05/19/22 Health Advisory: Severe Hepatitis of Unknown Cause in Children
Requested actions Be aware cases of severe hepatitis are occurring in children in the United States and worldwide. Consider adenovirus testing for pediatric patients with hepatitis of unknown cause. Report suspected cases to the Health Department. Call (253) 649-1412. A suspected case is a child with elevated AST or ALT (>500 U/L) with hepatitis of…
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05/12/22 Health Advisory: FDA Limits Use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine.
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Background FDA limited the authorized use of J&J to people age 18 years and older: This decision came after FDA analyzed, evaluated and investigated reported cases of TTS after getting J&J. TTS is rare and includes potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets. Symptoms typically start 1–2 weeks…