Monthly Archives: September 2023

9/19 CDC Call re Flu/COVID/RSV Vaccines

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CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) unit will present a free September 19, 2023 Zoom call on Preparing for the Upcoming Respiratory Virus Season: Recommendations for Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV Vaccines for Older Adults. Find more information and instructions for attending at https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2023/callinfo_091923.asp, and find information on free Continuing Education credits at https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/continuingeducation.asp. See also https://nwrnbulletins.wordpress.com/2023/09/06/cdc-han-alert-re-rsv-respiratory-virus/.

CDC HAN Alert re RSV Respiratory Virus

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CDC has published a Health Alert Network Advisory (HAN) on a surge of RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the Southeastern US. Find the HAN bulletin at https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00498.asp. RSV is different from Flu and COVID (and the “common cold”). “Syncytial,” pronounced something like “SIN-see-teal,” means that a whole mass of single-nucleus cells have merged into one big multinucleated cell. Like Flu and COVID, RSV can be serious or even fatal for vulnerable populations.

As people begin to make holiday travel plans, it is important to be aware of specific illnesses they may encounter. Some patients have family from the Southeastern US that may be coming here, or they may be planning to travel themselves, in which case they should talk to their healthcare provider about their individual risks. Although the spread of RSV has not increased here yet, the health advisory contains helpful information about new adult RSV vaccines that are available, and guidance for healthcare providers on how to care for at-risk individuals over the age of 60.

See also https://nwrnbulletins.wordpress.com/2023/09/06/9-19-cdc-call-re-flu-covid-rsv-vaccines/.

9/7 CMS Webinar on Medicaid/CHIP Renewals for Native American & Alaska Native Populations

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CMS will present a September 7, 2023 webinar on Medicaid and CHIP Renewals: Reaching Out to American Indian and Alaska Native Populations. RSVP at https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_-uRUL8P0QFW2_iRCvfqT8g. For more information and toolkits, including links to English and Spanish resources on Reaching Kids and Families, Disenrolled patients, and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Black American, Aging & Disability, and Rural Populations, see https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/unwinding-and-returning-regular-operations-after-covid-19/medicaid-and-chip-renewals-outreach-and-educational-resources/index.html.