Requested 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 doses are not currently authorized.
- Expiration dates shown on the vaccine are not accurate. Check the Novavax website for correct expiration dates for specific lot numbers.
- Novavax supply is limited. Keep orders to 10 to 100 doses, unless you have high demand.
- Make sure to order enough vaccine for both doses in the series. We expect to have only this single supply of Novavax.
- Be aware, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) purchased 750,000 courses of bebtelovimab. They allocated the courses to providers across the country. The supply is available for full order through Aug. 15 and partial order through Aug. 22. Bebtelovimab will be available for commercial purchase on Aug. 15.
- These federally purchased doses are the last available without cost to uninsured patients.
- Prioritize these doses for uninsured patients.
Vaccine
- Medical updates and immunization site training for all healthcare providers, Pfizer.
- Continuing education course: Recommendations for Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine primary series in children 6 months to 5 years old, CDC.
- Clinical considerations for the use of COVID-19 vaccine, CDC.
- Clinician outreach and communication activity (COCA) call slides, CDC.
- Booster dose updates, FDA.
- EUA and FDA-approved vaccine information:
- Washington State Department of Health (DOH) updated standing orders for COVID-19 vaccine:
- Moderna (18 years or older).
- Pfizer (5 years or older):
- COVID-19 vaccine locator, DOH.
- Our COVID-19 vaccine information for providers page.
- COVID-19 vaccine provider toolkit and resources, DOH.
- COVID-19 vaccination for providers, CDC.
- Clinical considerations for COVID-19 vaccination and guidance for managing anaphylaxis, CDC.
- COVID-19 vaccine quick reference guide for healthcare professionals, CDC.
- COVID-19 vaccine training module on best practices for providers, CDC.
- Training resources for COVID-19 vaccine providers, DOH.
- Pediatric healthcare professional COVID-19 vaccination toolkit, CDC.
- COVID-19 media toolkit to promote vaccination in children and youth, Washington Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP).
Testing
Processing times
Labs report varying amounts of time to process COVID-19 tests. To support faster turnaround, we encourage providers to use in-state labs. The table below shows COVID-19 test processing times for in-state private labs.
| LAB | TIME TO PROCESS TEST | TESTS PROCESSED DAILY |
|---|---|---|
| FidaLab | 24 hours | 150 |
| Kaiser | 24–48 hours | 3,000 |
| LabCorp | 24–48 hours | Unknown |
| Northwest Pathology | 24–48 hours | 4,000 |
| Quest | 24–48 hours | 700 |
| UW Virology | 12–72 hours | 3,800 |
| Atlas Genomic | 24–48 hours | 10,000 |
Therapeutics
HHS allocates monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals to each state. DOH distributes doses to enrolled providers. Providers must enroll to order therapies in Health Partner Ordering Portal (HPoP) to manage COVID-19 therapies. For help, email mcm@doh.wa.gov.
Additional information
- COVID-19 therapeutics locator for providers, HHS.
- Therapeutics for providers page, DOH.
- Our COVID-19 treatment information for providers page.
- COVID-19 therapeutics resources, HHS.
- COVID-19 treatment guidelines, National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- COVID-19 therapies educational slides, CDC.
- Paxlovid fact sheet for healthcare providers, FDA.
- Paxlovid patient eligibility screening checklist for prescribers, FDA.
Prevention
Share with patients:
- What to do if you test positive for COVID-19, DOH.
- What to do if you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, DOH.
Reporting
- Cases in the following people—call (253) 649-1412.
- Healthcare workers (e.g., EMS, medical, nursing, any healthcare facility employee).
- Public safety workers (e.g., law enforcement, firefighter).
- Live or work in a long-term care facility, senior living center, permanent supportive housing or similar congregate setting (e.g., shelter, correctional facility) housing people at high risk of severe outcomes.
- Anyone who dies with COVID-19.
- Anyone with suspected MIS-C.
- All other cases—fax the following to (253) 649-1357 or call (253) 649-1413.
- Patient—first name, last name, date of birth, gender, race, ethnicity, preferred language, phone number, address and zip code.
- Specimen—collection date and type (NP, nasal swab, blood, etc.).
- Test—type (PCR, NAAT, antigen, antibody/serology) and result (detected, not detected, inconclusive).
- Ordering facility.
- For all cases, report the person’s race, ethnicity and preferred language.
Contacting the Health Department
Questions?- For urgent issues, call (253) 649-1412.
- For non-urgent issues, call (253) 649-1413 and leave a message.
- Includes reporting notifiable conditions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Leave the patient’s name, date of birth and disease.