COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence News and Updates

Following FDA regulatory action, CDC has taken steps to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and allow more flexibility for people at higher risk who want the option to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose.

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met today to discuss these COVID-19 vaccine recommendation changes, and the associated implications and implementation. Although there was no vote at this meeting, ACIP members expressed their support for these recommendations.

These changes include:

• CDC’s new recommendations allow an additional updated (bivalent) vaccine dose for adults ages 65 years and older and additional doses for people who are immunocompromised. This allows more flexibility for healthcare providers to administer additional doses to immunocompromised patients as needed.  
• Monovalent (original) COVID-19 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for use in the United States. 
• CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older receive an updated (bivalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they previously completed their (monovalent) primary series.  

Individuals ages 6 years and older who have already received an updated mRNA vaccine do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised. 

For young children, multiple doses continue to be recommended and will vary by age, vaccine, and which vaccines were previously received.  

Alternatives to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain available for people who cannot or will not receive an mRNA vaccine. CDC’s recommendations for use of (monovalent) Novavax or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccines were not affected by the changes made today. 

CDC and ACIP will continue to monitor COVID-19 disease levels and vaccine effectiveness in the months ahead and look forward to additional discussion around potential updates this fall. 

In the coming days, CDC will update it's website, including the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States and additional COVID-19 vaccine webpages.

News Updates

• Dr. Jasmine Zapata on the toll of COVID-19 on mental health. Wisconsin Department of Health Services state epidemiologist Dr. Jasmine Zapata describes ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic causing uncertainty, stress and trauma in families and communities.
• There have already been several measles outbreaks across the U.S. in 2024.   This factsheet provides an overview of measles and describes what to do in the event of a local measles outbreak. Vaccination is encouraged before or during an outbreak to prevent spread as well as to prevent or reduce the severity of the disease.
• CDC's News COVID GuidelinesFour years after the first confirmed case of COVID in Wisconsin, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released new guidance about what to do if you test positive. 
• Public Health Madison Dane County explains what changed and why. 
• CDC Updates and Simplifies Respiratory Virus Recommendations to Help Protect Those Most at Risk  Last week, CDC released updated recommendations for how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The new guidance brings a unified approach to addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers.  As part of the guidance, CDC provides active recommendations on core prevention steps and strategies:
  Staying up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible. Practicing good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces. Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.
• COVID-19 continues gradual decline, but the pandemic remains active in Wisconsin. Too few people still have the most recent vaccine version, epidemiologist says
• CDC to do away with guidance for people to isolate at least 5 days after positive Covid test, Washington Post reports
• Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report Week5, Ending February 3, 2024
• Thousands of seniors are still dying of Covid-19. Do we not care anymore?
• CDC's Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shows that as of January 20, 156 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed in the United States. As of January 20, national vaccination coverage estimates for all adults for the 2023–24 season is 47.0%, and coverage among states and Washington, D.C. ranges from 36.8% to 62.3%. It is important to continue to vaccinate people as long as influenza remains active.
• CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. Influenza and other vaccines (including COVID-19 and RSV vaccines) may be given at the same visit, if indicated. Infants 6 months of age and older may receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit when they receive the RSV preventive antibody, nirsevimab.
Locate influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in your area by entering your zip code in the VaccineFinder on  Vaccines.gov or Vacunas.gov. To be listed as a provider by VaccineFinder, visit Vaccines.gov Provider Resources
• Latest Covid-19 vaccine offers strong protection against symptomatic infection,
• A new high-tech way to track flu, COVID in Wisconsin
• COVID-19, flu and RSV on the rise in Wisconsin
• COVID-19 cases continue to increase, vaccination lags ...
• COVID-19 cases rise in Wisconsin as new variant spreads
• Paxlovid Cuts Covid Death Risk. But Those Who Need It Are Not Taking It.
• The Biden administration on Monday said it is offering another round of free at-home COVID tests to U.S. households ahead of the holiday season, when more people gather indoors and the virus typically spreads at higher levels. Use COVIDtests.gov to request four free tests per household.
• DHS reports: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations climbing in Wisconsin
• What to know about COVID-19 going into the 2023 winter holidays
• COVID-19 now increasing again, especially in Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, CDC says
• Since October, COVID-19 activity has increased by about 50 percent in Wisconsin
• Covid cases are on the rise as the holidays are around the corner
• What to watch for in Wisconsin as COVID cases climb
• Ahead of Thanksgiving, read this blog from the CDC on what you should know about respiratory viruses during the holidays, and how you can be sure to stay healthy! 
• COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: How Social Workers Can Support Children and Families
• Comparing the COVID-19 Vaccines: How Are They Different?
• COVID-19 Booster Dose Reminder/Recall for Adolescents: Findings From a Health-Care System in Wisconsin
• How to keep vaccine-hesitant people from shutting down Asking open-ended questions and replying in a reflective, nonjudgmental way can be useful for social workers interacting with people who are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine, writes licensed clinical social worker Miste Hower. Hower recommends tools provided through the National Association of Social Workers Connect to End COVID-19 Resources site to develop the skills to help clients make informed decisions. Full Story: The New Social Worker (10/4)  
• End of an era: The CDC has stopped printing Covid vaccination cards Now that Covid vaccines are not being distributed by the federal government, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing new cards.
• Last week, CDC’s Bridge Access Program officially launched , providing continued access to COVID-19 vaccines at no cost for the estimated 25-30 million adults who would have otherwise lost access now that these products have transitioned to the commercial market. The Bridge Access Program will temporarily provide updated COVID-19 vaccines at no cost to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 costs through December 2024. 
• What to know about updated COVID-19 vaccines expected to be available soon in Wisconsin
• COVID-19 cases on the rise in Wisconsin as summer winds down
• What you should know about the latest Covid-19 surge. A doctor explains
• The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration in May 2023 resulted in changes to how COVID-19 data are tracked and reported. Check out this graphic and report which summarizes how your community can continue to monitor COVID to stay safe.
• Discover the VRH Discover page! Users of the Vaccine Resource Hub can use the Discover Page to view resources relevant to currently trending topics, find tips on conversation starters for key questions around vaccines in the community, and browse available resources by topic. Please check out the page and let us know what you think!
• Wisconsin Public Radio series: Coronavirus in WI https://www.wpr.org/coronavirus-in-wisconsin/360501
• This is a fun resource for families! It includes a video that could be watched as a family along with data for parents
• More than 4,000 Wisconsin children under 5 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the initial rollout
• Are COVID-19 vaccines still free? Yes
• Outreach campaign targets vaccine-hesitant rural Wisconsinites
  
• Hmong and Hispanic communities face vaccine challenges
• Wisconsin re-launching vaccine awareness campaign
• Dr. Sara Oliver presented These linked slides at last week’s NAIIs Summit about the latest COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
• New booster recommendations from CDC! Here is the Latest regarding COVID-19 vaccine guidance: CDC now recommends an additional updated booster for individuals ages 65 and older as well as individuals who are immunocompromised. This resource provides a brief explainer that can be used to spread the word about these new guidelines.
• NASW signs letter with 200+ groups to urge the administration to keep people covered during Medicaid unwinding  
• U.S. Department of Labor blog What does the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency mean for health benefits? | U.S. Department of Labor blog (dol.gov)
• The Department of Health services has been receiving questions from the public about a testing facility in Racine that pays $20 for people to take COVID-19 tests. The site in Racine that is paying for people to take COVID tests is not a DHS-sanctioned community testing site. Sanctioned testing sites do not pay people to take COVID-19 tests. Providers that ask for your social security number, passport, driver’s license, or other personal information may be involved in identity theft scams. However, providers may ask for your ID to verify your information if they are intending to bill insurance. To ensure Wisconsinites are receiving COVID-19 testing from a trusted testing provider, DHS encourages the public to use trusted testing options. Trusted testing options include sites listed on the DHS COVID-19 community testing sites webpage , health care providers, and opportunities through local and tribal health departments. Other sources of trusted testing options include FDA approved at-home tests that are covered by health insurance or that individuals can purchase from their pharmacy; or free tests provided by the federal government through covidtests.gov or by the state through the Say Yes! COVID test program . The money that the Racine site is offering is actually for genetic samples that it is taking from the covid-19 tests, not for just testing people for COVID-19. DHS recommends carefully reading any information about what is being collected, why it is being collected, and how it will be used before agreeing to give biological samples. Genetic testing is not medically necessary for assessment of COVID-19. People are encouraged to contact the Wisconsin DHS office of the inspector general fraud hotline at 877-865-3432 or via the fraud reporting website if they feel they were defrauded.
• DHS details end of emergency COVID-19 response
• Several Wisconsin health systems move to make masking optional
• State of Wisconsin ends free in-person COVID-19 testing. But free at-home tests remain available through “Say Yes! COVID test” and the federal government.
• AP news: FDA clears extra COVID booster for some high-risk 
• FDA authorizes additional omicron COVID booster for seniors and people with weak immune systems
• Arcturus is the new COVID variant of concern—what to know (prevention.com)   
• Bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine shown to be highly effective in reducing deaths and hospitalizations
• How often should people get COVID boosters? – scientificamerican
• Immunization resources in multiple languages
• COVID in 2023 and beyond – Why virus trends are more difficult to predict three years on
• School-Based interventions to increase student COVID-19 vaccination coverage in public school populations with low coverage  
• Start your personal COVID-19 plan
• Daniel Lelly, Janet Protasiewicz on health orders, 2020 vote
• How three years of COVID-19 reshaped these Wisconsinites' lives
• These benefits will disappear when Biden ends the COVID national and public health emergencies in may | CNN politics
• Is the COVID-19 pandemic over? Here’s why the answer is political, social, scientific, and complex  https://www.fastcompany.com/90862194/covid-19-pandemic-three-years-ending-over-when 
• It's Women's History Month! A Report from Society for Women's Health Research provides information and best practices for engaging women to help families stay on track with their routine vaccinations. download and read the report to see what may work best in your community.
• Wisconsin's COVID condition: the response to the pandemic enters a new phase
• One in four parents non-adherent to COVID-19 public health measures
• On February 9, CDC announced updates to the immunization schedules for adults and children via two publications in its morbidity and mortality weekly report.
• COVID-19 continues gradual decline, but the pandemic remains active in Wisconsin too few people still have the most recent vaccine version, epidemiologist says
• Pharmacists say demand for COVID-19 vaccines is dwindling in Wisconsin
• There's a new omicron subvariant in the U.S. here’s what we know about XBB.1.5 so far.
• What infectious disease doctors want you to know as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its 4th year
• It’s been three years since the first COVID-19 case in the United States. What have we learned and what more do we need to understand?
• Change to COVID vaccine formulation signals start of FDA pivot in immunization strategy
• FDA experts vote to make all COVID-19 vaccines and boosters bivalent
• Updated boosters are cutting the risk of getting sick from COVID-19 by about half
• Madison clinic works to reduce racial disparity in COVID-19 vaccinations
• As the cold weather brings an uptick in COVID-19 cases, DHS reminds Wisconsinites how to stay healthy this holiday season
• If you are high risk, do not wait for updated COVID vaccines, experts say
• Now or later? When to get a COVID booster shot
• What you need to know about variants
• Know your community level July 5th update
• CDC outlines 6 things to know about COVID vaccine for young children
• CDC statement on recommending COVID vaccines for young children
• Video on vaccine confidence for children receiving the vaccine
• Video on vaccine confidence for children and for recognizing side effects relating to vaccinating kids
• FAQ about COVID vaccines for kids 6 months and older
• FDA advisory panel moves COVID-19 shots closer for kids under 5
• Are COVID-19 vaccines still free? yes
• Outreach campaign targets vaccine-hesitant rural Wisconsinites
  
• Hmong and hispanic communities face vaccine challenges
• Wisconsin re-launching vaccine awareness campaign