UPDATED DOH COVID-19 VACCINE WEBPAGES & RESOURCES
The Washington State Department of Health's (DOH) COVID-19 Vaccine Health Education team has been hard at work to update webpages and materials following the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Below is a list of resources that are now up to date and ready for your use:
General Public Webpages:
Provider Webpages:
Resources for General Public:
Resources for Providers:
2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Product Characteristics and Information
 COVID-19 IMMUNITY WANES OVER TIME, VACCINES REMAIN BEST DEFENSE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that immunity against COVID-19 is stronger today than at any other point since COVID-19 emerged. Immunity from vaccines and/or previous infection acts like a shield against the virus and reduces your chance of getting a serious infection. The CDC stresses that we still need to be cautious because immune protection decreases over time. This is especially important for older adults, who make up most of the hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 (currently increasing in the United States).
The virus that causes COVID-19 continues to change. For example, researchers are currently learning more about a newer variant called BA.2.86 It’s a reminder to use the tools we have to fight COVID-19. The newest 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine targets the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 and is our best defense against COVID-19 disease this year.
FALL AND WINTER 2023 IMMUNIZATION MESSAGING
Following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for 2023-2024, Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) has created immunization messaging for the fall and winter respiratory illness season. This resource reflects the latest COVID-19 vaccine guidance and answers questions about the array of respiratory illnesses–COVID-19, the flu, and RSV–within your community, including guidance about whether to get multiple vaccines at one time.
PHCC also offers a customizable social graphic toolkit here.
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Rulemaking - Call for Participation
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
Access to safe and reliable drinking water is essential to public health. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a financial assistance program funded through the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), helping water systems build and maintain drinking water infrastructure. You can learn more about this work at the DWSRF website. The DWSRF offers grants and loans to eligible infrastructure projects for improvements including treatment, distribution (fixing leaky or old pipes), improving source of water supply, replacing or constructing finished water storage tanks, and other projects needed to protect public health. Under the DWSRF, public water projects that qualify as a serving a “disadvantaged community” are eligible for specific types of grants and loan forgiveness for drinking water infrastructure. The EPA requires a portion of funding to go to “disadvantaged communities,” and states must develop a definition and criteria for how projects may qualify. We are currently updating this definition and criteria in law.
We believe that the people and communities who might be most impacted by a decision should be part of that decision-making process. This is an opportunity to help shape state drinking water policy and support equitable access to drinking water infrastructure for communities across Washington. We are specifically trying to reach people and communities served by public water systems who may experience hardship in affording or accessing safe and reliable drinking water due to existing and ongoing systemic inequities.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Communities of color;
- Rural communities;
- Tribal communities or communities on tribal lands;
- People who are low-income;
- Migrant workers; and
- People with chronic health conditions or sensitivities that put them at higher risk of impacts.
If you identify as a member of one or more of these groups and would like to share your thoughts, please contact us at Chelsea.Cannard@doh.wa.gov or see below for ways to get involved.
There are three ways you can get involved:
- Share input through this brief survey: bit.ly/DOHDrinkingWaterSurvey-English
- Attend a virtual listening session (register at bit.ly/DOHDrinkingWaterCall):
- Wednesday, October 4 from 4:30-6:30pm
- Wednesday, November 1 from 4:30-6:30pm
- Wednesday, December 6 from 4:30-6:30pm
- Email Chelsea Cannard at Chelsea.Cannard@doh.wa.gov or call 564-233-1799.
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¡NECESITAMOS SU OPINIÓN!
El acceso al agua potable segura y salubre es esencial para la salud pública. El Fondo de préstamo rotativo estatal de agua potable (DWSRF) es un programa de asistencia financiera que la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE. UU. (EPA) financia y ayuda a que los sistemas de agua construyan y mantengan la infraestructura de agua potable. Puede obtener más información sobre estas obras en el sitio web del DWSRF. El DWSRF ofrece subvenciones y préstamos para proyectos de infraestructura elegibles a fin de realizar mejoras, incluido el tratamiento, la distribución (reparar las tuberías viejas o con fugas), la mejora de las fuentes de suministro de agua, la sustitución o construcción de depósitos de agua acabados, y otros proyectos necesarios para proteger la salud pública. En el marco del DWSRF, los proyectos que califican como al servicio de una “comunidad desfavorecida” pueden acceder a tipos específicos de subvenciones y condonación de préstamos para infraestructura de agua potable segura y salubre. La EPA exige que una parte de la financiación se destine a las “comunidades desfavorecidas” y los estados deben elaborar una definición y criterios sobre cómo pueden calificar los proyectos. Estamos actualizando esta definición y los criterios ante la ley.
Intentamos llegar específicamente a las personas y comunidades que utilizan sistemas de agua públicos y que puedan experimentar dificultades desmedidas para costear o acceder a agua potable segura y salubre, debido a desigualdades sistemáticas existentes y continuas.
Estos son algunos ejemplos:
- Comunidades de color
- Comunidades rurales
- Comunidades tribales o comunidades en tierras tribales
- Personas de bajos ingresos
- Trabajadores inmigrantes
- Personas con afecciones o sensibilidades de salud crónicas que poseen un mayor riesgo de sufrir los efectos
Si se identifica como miembro de uno o más de estos grupos y quiere compartir sus comentarios, comuníquese con nosotros por correo electrónico en Chelsea.Cannard@doh.wa.gov o consulte las formas de participar más abajo.
Hay tres formas en las que puede participar:
- Comparta su opinión a través de esta breve encuesta: bit.ly/DOHEncuestaDeAguaPotable-Espanol
- Asista a una sesión de escucha virtual (regístrese en bit.ly/DOHDrinkingWaterCall):
- Miércoles, 4 de octubre de 4:30 a 6:30 p. m.
- Miércoles, 1 de noviembre de 4:30 a 6:30 p. m.
- Miércoles, 6 de diciembre de 4:30 a 6:30 p. m.
- Envíenos un correo electrónico directamente a Chelsea Cannard Chelsea.Cannard@doh.wa.gov o llámenos al 564-233-1799.
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