Tag: news

Communities seeing rapid increase in flu activity across the U.S.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) wants the public to know flu cases are rising quickly in Washington state and nationwide. Flu hospitalizations are at the highest rates seen in 10 years for this point in the year. In the last two weeks, DOH is reporting high cases of flu-like illnesses in Washington.

Flu illness can have serious health consequences, especially for people who are under five years old, age 65 or older, pregnant, immunocompromised, or have chronic health conditions.

In addition to the flu, other respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19 and RSV, are combining to push our hospitals to emergency capacity. Help keep yourself and your community healthy by getting a flu vaccine and taking other measures to prevent illness.

“Our state’s pediatric healthcare system is overloaded with extremely high numbers of children with respiratory infections,” said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, chief science officer for DOH. “Families urgently need to do everything they can to keep everyone healthy and avoid the need for healthcare, and flu vaccination is one of the most important prevention tools.”

Following the proper prevention and hygiene practices can halt the spread of respiratory illnesses. Washington State Department of Health recommends:

  • Get vaccinated. Vaccination is your best defense against flu and COVID-19.
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer when soap is not available, and hands are not visibly soiled.
  • Consider wearing a mask in crowded settings.
  • If you are sneezing or coughing, wear a mask or use the crook of your arm or a tissue to avoid getting germs onto your hands or spreading virus in the air.
  • Avoid close contact with sick individuals.
  • If you feel sick, stay home.

The most common strain so far is influenza A (H3N2). This strain typically causes more severe disease. All available flu vaccines provide protection against H3N2.

DOH strongly recommends everyone aged 6 months and older get the flu vaccine as soon as possible. It takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to be effective making it a key time to get vaccinated before people get together for the December holidays. If you get the flu when you are vaccinated, it’s typically milder and the vaccine can prevent serious complications including hospital care.

The flu vaccine is available at most pharmacies, health care providers’ offices, and clinics. State employees are eligible to receive SmartHealth points for receiving a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine can be received on the same day as the updated COVID-19 updated booster and other vaccines.

Find out more at KnockOutFlu.org.

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Celebrating Safely This Holiday Season

Preparation and prevention strategies can help keep you safe and healthy 

OLYMPIA – With the cooler weather comes traditional holiday gatherings with friends and family. Amid a strained hospital system, an early and more severe respiratory virus season, and people gathering to celebrate, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) would like to remind everyone how to stay safe and healthy this holiday season. 

Respiratory viruses are more common this time of year and medical facilities, especially pediatric emergency departments, are seeing a higher-than-usual number of patients for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Hospitals were already operating at higher capacity, and it has become even more important to utilize preventive measures to ensure there is space for those with critical health needs. 

“Connecting is important during the holiday season but it can be challenging when we are concerned about our own health and that of those around us,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Washington State Secretary of Health. “A little prevention can go a long way in helping us enjoy our social circle and stay healthy at the same time.”  

Tips to help lower the risk of contracting viruses, spreading illness, or needing hospital care in the coming months: 

  • Although masks are no longer required for the public except in healthcare settings and correctional facilities, DOH recommends you consider wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated settings to reduce the chance of getting sick or spreading viruses. 
    • Note – DOH had planned to update current masking requirements by mid-November. It is continuing its review and plans to issue an update in the coming weeks.   
  • DOH recommends everyone 6 months and older be vaccinated for influenza and COVID-19 to lower risk of transmission and serious illness. If you have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, make an appointment now to receive your booster. People ages 5 years and older who had their last COVID-19 shot at least two months ago can get the updated booster. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines can be safely given at the same time. There is currently no approved vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).  
  • If you or a member of your family are sick, stay home and use the appropriate level of care necessary. Call your healthcare provider or pediatrician for advice or to make an appointment. Consider going to an urgent care or check if telehealth is an option. For emergencies, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room immediately.  
  • Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose, which are where viruses commonly enter the body.  
  • Consider taking a COVID-19 test prior to gathering, especially if you are getting together with people who are older, immunocompromised, or at risk for severe disease. 
  • Practice food safety by washing your hands, keeping foods at the correct temperature, preparing foods correctly, and disinfecting surfaces. 

Simple but important steps can help keep all of us healthy and safe this holiday season! 

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COVID-19 Cases and Deaths, Vaccinations, and Treatments by Race/Ethnicity as of Fall 2022

As the United States enters its third holiday season navigating a potential increase in COVID-19 cases as well as other respiratory illnesses, federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that as of November 9, 2022, 80% of the total population in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and only 10% of eligible individuals have received the updated, bivalent booster that was authorized for use among individuals 5 years of age and older in early Fall 2022. Individuals who have not received any booster dose are at higher risk of infection from the virus, and people who remain unvaccinated continue to be at particularly high risk for severe illness and death.

Over the course of the pandemic, racial disparities in cases and deaths have widened and narrowed. However, overall, Black, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people have borne the heaviest health impacts of the pandemic, particularly when adjusting data to account for differences in age by race and ethnicity. While Black and Hispanic people were less likely than their White counterparts to receive a vaccine during the initial phases of the vaccination rollout, these disparities have narrowed over time and reversed for Hispanic people. Despite this progress, a vaccination gap persists for Black people. COVID-19 outpatient treatments, which can mitigate hospitalization and death from COVID-19, are also available. However, early data suggest racial disparities in access to and receipt of these treatments.

This data note presents an update on the status of COVID-19 cases and deaths, vaccinations, and treatments by race/ethnicity as of Fall 2022, based on federal data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What is the status of COVID-19 cases and deaths by race/ethnicity?

Racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths have widened and narrowed over the course of the pandemic, but when data are adjusted to account for differences in age by race/ethnicity, they show that AIAN, Black, and Hispanic people have had higher rates of infection and death than White people over most of the course of the pandemic. Early in the pandemic, there were large racial disparities in COVID-19 cases. Disparities narrowed when overall infection rates fell. However, during the surge associated with the Omicron variant in Winter 2022, disparities in cases once again widened with Hispanic (4,341 per 100,000), AIAN (3,818 per 100,000), Black (2,937 per 100,000), and Asian (2,755 per 100,000) people having higher age-adjusted infection rates than White people (2,693 per 100,000) as of January 2022 (Figure 1). Following that surge, infection rates fell in Spring 2022 and disparities have once again narrowed. However, as of September 2022, the age-adjusted COVID-19 infection rates were still highest for Black and Hispanic people (192 per 100,000 for each group), followed by AIAN people at 188 per 100,000. White and Asian people had the lowest infection rates at 164 per 100,000 and 153 per 100,000, respectively. While death rates for most groups of color were substantially higher compared with White people early on in the pandemic, since late Summer 2020, there have been some periods when death rates for White people have been higher than or similar to some groups of color. However, age-adjusted data show that AIAN, Black, and Hispanic people have had higher rates of death compared with White people over most of the pandemic and particularly during surges. For example, as of January 2022, amid the Omicron surge, age-adjusted death rates were higher for Black (37.4 per 100,000), AIAN (34.7 per 100,000), and Hispanic people (29.9 per 100,000) compared with White people (23.5 per 100,000) (Figure 1). Following that surge, disparities narrowed when death rates fell. As of August 2022, age-adjusted death rates were similar for AIAN (4.9 per 100,000), Black (4.4 per 100,000), and White people (4.2 per 100,000) and lower for Hispanic (3.6 per 100,000) and Asian (2.7 per 100,000) people. Despite these fluctuations over time, total cumulative age-adjusted data continue to show that Black, Hispanic, and AIAN people have been at higher risk for COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths compared with White people.

Read the full article from KFF here.

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Opportunity for Families: Promoting Equitable Access to Language Services for Families of CYSHCN

Family Voices is recruiting 8 diverse multilingual people to participate in the project advisory committee (PAC) for our new project to Promote Equitable Access to Language Services (PEALS) for families of CYSHCN. The PAC will lead the project by identifying community needs, and reviewing and testing materials to be sure that they work well for English Language Learners.

The PEALS project will improve the quality and use of language access services in the healthcare setting for families with limited English proficiency.

Recruitment Criteria

Eligible participants will be:

  • Diverse youth or family members of CYSHCN with limited English proficiency (LEP) who speak more than one language, (Chinese, Arabic, Spanish etc.) or
  • Allied health workers or health care providers who speak more than one language, (Chinese, Arabic, Spanish etc.) or
  • Community health workers who speak more than one language (Chinese, Arabic, Spanish etc.)

Compensation

  • PAC members receive $300 for each meeting they participate in.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the application form by November 30, 2022.  

The goal of this project is to improve the quality and use of language access services in the health care setting for families with Limited English Proficiency. Family Voices and our partner at the American Academy of Pediatrics will work alongside families with lived experience to develop educational tools and strategies for families, community health workers, and health care providers to improve the way they use language access services.
If this project interests you, please complete the application below to be considered as a member of the Project Advisory Committee (PAC). This committee will help identify community needs and review and test materials to be sure that they work well for English Language Learners.
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‘Impending Intergenerational Crisis’: Americans With Disabilities Lack Long-Term Care Plans

Thinking about the future makes Courtney Johnson nervous.

The 25-year-old blogger and college student has autism and several chronic illnesses, and with the support of her grandparents and friends, who help her access a complex network of social services, she lives relatively independently in Johnson City, Tennessee.

“If something happens to them, I’m not certain what would happen to me, especially because I have difficulty with navigating things that require more red tape,” she said.

Johnson said she hasn’t made plans that would ensure she receives the same level of support in the future. She especially worries about being taken advantage of or being physically harmed if her family and friends can’t help her — experiences she’s had in the past.

“I like being able to know what to expect, and thinking about the future is a bit terrifying to me,” she said.

Johnson’s situation isn’t unique.

Experts say many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have long-term plans for when family members lose the ability to help them access government services or care for them directly.

Read the full article from KHN.

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Using New Federal Funding to Meet Children’s Behavioral Health Needs in School

Since the pandemic began, there has been an increase in suicide rates among young people, particularly Black adolescents. Rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression have also continued to rise as the long-term impact of COVID-19 plays out. Seven of 10 public schools report that the number of students seeking mental health services has increased since 2020. With students back in the structured environment of school, educators are working overtime to meet their behavioral health needs. Fortunately, the federal government has responded with unprecedented levels of support and efforts are underway to help schools put these new or dramatically expanded resources to good use.

The American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) provides more than $122 billion to help pre-K through grade12 students recover from lost time in schools by supporting their mental health, as well as their social, emotional, and academic needs. Additionally, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 commits more than a billion dollars in the next five years to support schools in addressing youth behavioral health needs, including funding for school mental health workforce. The law also directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education (DOE) to create a technical assistance center that will help states and schools better use Medicaid dollars for school-based services. In July 2022, DOE and HHS issued a joint letter to governors encouraging partnerships at state and local levels and outlining resources to support youth with behavioral health needs.

Read the full article from the Commonwealth Fund.

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The Average Medicare Beneficiary Has a Choice of 43 Medicare Advantage Plans and 24 Part D Stand-Alone Plans for Coverage in 2023

For 2023, the typical beneficiary has a choice of 43 Medicare Advantage plans as an alternative to traditional Medicare, a new KFF analysis finds. That’s an increase of 5 plans on average from 2022, adding even more choices to the Medicare Advantage marketplace, which is poised to become the dominant way Medicare beneficiaries get their health coverage and care.

In addition, the typical beneficiary has a choice of 24 Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans for 2023, a second KFF analysis finds, one more than in 2022.

These findings are featured in two briefs released by KFF today that provide an overview of the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D marketplace for 2023, including the latest data and key trends. Medicare’s open enrollment period began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7.

Medicare Advantage

More than 28 million Medicare beneficiaries – 48 percent of all eligible beneficiaries – are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, which are mostly HMOs and PPOs offered by private insurers. Enrollment is projected to cross the 50 percent threshold as soon as next year.

For 2023, a typical beneficiary has 43 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from in their local market, including 35 plans that offer Part D drug coverage. In total, 3,998 Medicare Advantage plans will be available across the country.

Read the full article from KFF.

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People With Long Covid Face Barriers to Government Disability Benefits

When Josephine Cabrera Taveras was infected with covid-19 in spring 2020, she didn’t anticipate that the virus would knock her out of work for two years and put her family at risk for eviction.

Taveras, a mother of two in Brooklyn, New York, said her bout with long covid has meant dealing with debilitating symptoms, ranging from breathing difficulties to arthritis, that have prevented her from returning to her job as a nanny. Unable to work — and without access to Social Security Disability Insurance or other government help — Taveras and her family face a looming pile of bills.

“We are in the midst of possibly losing our apartment because we’re behind on rent,” said Taveras, 32. Her application for Social Security disability assistance, submitted last fall, was rejected, but she is appealing.

Like many others with long covid, Taveras has fallen through the cracks of a system that was time-consuming and difficult to navigate even before the covid pandemic. People are facing years-long wait times, insufficient legal support, and a lack of clear guidance on how to prove they are disabled — compounded by the challenges of a medical system that does not have a uniform process for diagnosing long covid, according to health experts and disability attorneys.

The Biden administration promised support to people with long covid, but patient advocates say many are struggling to get government help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines long covid broadly, as a “range of ongoing health problems” that can last “weeks, months, or longer.” This description includes people, like Taveras, who cannot work, as well as people with less severe symptoms, such as a long-term loss of smell.

Read the full article from KHN.

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Pediatric Shared Decision-Making: Creating Better Communication for Your Child’s Care

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a set of processes where health care decisions are made through respectful collaboration between doctors, patients, and their parents or guardians. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and many other medical care groups see SDM as a key part of family-centered care. However, SDM may not be used as often as it should be. There are many reasons for this, such as:

  • Doctors have not learned how to do SDM.
  • There is not enough time.
  • There can be an imbalance of power between the medical care team and the family.
  • There is an existing lack of understanding of what SDM is and how to participate in SDM.

In this month’s Pediatrics, “Pediatric Shared Decision-Making for Simple and Complex Decisions: Findings from a Delphi Panel”, Eaton et al (10.1542/peds.2022-057978) explore the SDM process to look at what SDM is and how it is best implemented.

What did the authors find in the study?
The processes of SDM refer to the activities, in the short and long term, involved in making decisions. For example, an initial process could be to:

  • Establish a relationship with the family
  • Discuss research treatment options
  • Ask if the family understands the clinical issue and the decision that needs to be made.

The main findings of the study show the need to personalize this decision-making process to each family’s unique situation and preferences. Examples of ways to personalize the process can include:

  • Determine information preferences- such as language, amount, type, method and with whom the information is to be shared. For example, how can the information be given in a way that is accessible, useful, and meaningful to the family?
  • Discuss the role of the child and parent/guardian in the SDM process. For example, does the child want to be a part of the process? Are they old enough? Are they mature enough?
  • Explore family values and what matters most to them. For example, is a family willing to discuss these topics with the rest of the care team and/or with the child?
  • Discuss guidance from the medical team about the child’s care. For example, what type of information does the family want from the doctors and nurses providing the care?

The authors introduce a framework that suggests different ways to help with the SDM process. Developed based on learnings from the study, the framework aims to provide a range of strategies to help personalize the process to unique needs of the child, family and clinical situation. The framework provides guidance to be used in all types of decisions, as well as additional guidance for more complex decisions.

The study also highlights areas where the panel did not agree. For example, the panel did not agree on topics such as:

  • Should “personalized” or another word replace “shared” in this process?
  • How do you decide what the child’s role in the process should be?
  • Should a family be asked if they want a recommendation before a doctor gives one?

The full article is available from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Updated COVID-19 booster eligibility expanded to people ages 5 and older

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and other healthcare providers will soon begin offering Omicron variant-targeted bivalent booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines to people ages 5 and older, following guidance and recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

“This is another step forward to a healthier tomorrow for everyone in Washington state,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “The more people who are eligible for COVID-19 boosters, the better protection we can provide to our communities.

This new demographic of booster eligibility expansion follows last month’s rollout of the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine, which specifically targets the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants that currently make up the majority of COVID-19 cases across the country. The Department of Health urges all individuals 5 and older to prioritize receiving the updated booster as we enter the beginning of cold and flu season. Additionally, flu vaccines are now available at many provider offices and pharmacies across the state and are safe to receive concurrently with the COVID-19 bivalent booster.

“It’s also time to get your flu shot,” Dr. Shah added. “We are entering respiratory illness seasons and it is a critical time to protect yourself and those around you from influenza.”

DOH’s updated COVID-19 booster dose recommendations are as follows:

  • People ages 5 and older who have completed a primary vaccine can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster at least two months after their most recent dose. These doses are scheduled to begin arriving in provider offices the week of October 17th.
  • People ages 6 and older who have completed a primary vaccine series can receive the Moderna bivalent booster at least two months after their most recent dose. Providers who already have an inventory of Moderna can begin administering these doses immediately.
  • Children ages 6 months to 4 years remain eligible for the primary, monovalent COVID-19 vaccine series from both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and are not currently authorized for any COVID-19 booster doses.

As with previous vaccine and booster rollouts, the CDC will provide states with weekly allocations, building each state’s inventory levels over time. DOH urges the public to remain patient as we expect initial demand to exceed availability, resolving in the following weeks.

To make a vaccine or booster appointment, visit VaccinateWA.org, or call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 833-VAX-HELP. Language assistance is available. Those individuals with further questions are encouraged to visit DOH’s COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions webpage or talk to their trusted healthcare provider.

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