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10/23/24 Health Advisory: Presumed positive human cases of avian influenza in Washington.
Washington State Department of Health is investigating presumed positive human cases of avian influenza in Washington. Healthcare providers should consider avian influenza in patients who present with acute respiratory illness, isolated conjunctivitis, or influenza-like illness (ILI). Assess patients for exposure to animals––especially poultry, cattle, and wildlife, or to people suspected or known to be infected. Current…
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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…
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05/05/22 Health Advisory: Colorado person first U.S. case of H5 bird flu
A person in Colorado tested positive for avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (H5 bird flu), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported April 28, 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed it is the first U.S. case of H5 bird flu. The person was involved in the culling of poultry with presumptive H5…
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04/27/22 Health Advisory: CDC Treatment Updates and ACIP discusses eligibility for second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Requested actions Be aware, on April 25, 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory about the availability and use of recommended COVID-19 therapies. It also advised against using unproven treatments that have known or potential harm. Follow National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 treatment guidelines and use…
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04/08/22 Health Advisory: COVID-19 Information for Providers
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, COVID-19, Health Advisory, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware, on March 29, 2022, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended its emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna COVID-19 booster dose vaccine. A new multi-dose vial is now available. It has a dark blue cap and a label with a purple border. Doses from this vial are 0.5 mL. Multi-dose vials are…
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03/30/22 Health Advisory: CDC endorses second booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups
Advisory or Update, Communicable Disease and Immunization Update, Health Advisory, News and Alerts, Notifiable Conditions, Provider ResourcesRequested actions Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup endorsed Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) emergency use authorization (EUA) of a second booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for specific groups. The EUA allows: A second booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least…