Guidelines align for when to return to work/school after RSV, flu, and Covid-19
from Health Department of Northwest Michigan

There’s a new message on how people can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory illness by knowing when it’s okay to return to work and school after being sick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the new guidelines, released March 1, support returning to normal activities when:

• Symptoms are improving, AND
• A fever has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours.

For Covid-19 specifically, the suggested time away from other people has been reduced from five days to the 24-hour fever-free period.

“With an effective vaccination, improved immunity, and many residents normalizing good hygiene practices, Covid-19 is being treated the same as other respiratory illnesses,” says Joshua Meyerson, Medical Director for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. “While any of these illnesses can still become serious health conditions, the new guidelines show that prevention is working.”

Once people resume normal activities, they are encouraged to continue to help curb the spread of illness by:

1. Staying up to date with recommended vaccines,
2. Continuing to practice good handwashing, covering your cough and sneezes, and frequently cleaning high touch surfaces in the workplace,
3. Opening windows and doors to increase ventilation, when possible,
4. For those at higher risk, getting tested for influenza and Covid-19 to obtain appropriate antiviral medication to prevent severe illness, and
5. Maintaining social distancing or wearing a well-fitting mask for 5 days to protect those most at risk for severe illness, including people over 65 and those with weakened immune systems.

States and countries that have already adjusted recommended isolation times have not seen increased hospitalizations or deaths related to Covid-19, according to the CDC.

“While every respiratory virus does not act the same, adopting a unified approach to limiting the spread of disease makes recommendations easier and more likely to be followed,” Meyerson says. “When people follow these recommendations to avoid getting sick, and to protect themselves and others if they do get sick, it will help limit the spread of respiratory viruses and fewer people who experience severe illness.”

For more information on the CDC’s new recommendations, go to https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/respiratory-virus-guidance.html

COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ending: Change in national status comes with updated guidelines for vaccinations

Based on current COVID-19 trends, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is ending the public health emergency declared for COVID-19. The declaration officially expires at the end of the day Thursday, May 11.

According to HHS, since the peak of the Omicron surge at the end of January 2022:

• Daily COVID-19 reported cases are down 92%,
• COVID-19 deaths have declined by over 80%, and
• New COVID-19 hospitalizations are down nearly 80%.

“Access to COVID-19 vaccinations and antiviral treatments such as Paxlovid will generally not be affected by the ending of the public health emergency,” says Dr. Joshua Meyerson, Health Department of Northwest Michigan (HDNW) Medical Director. “With better immunity from vaccinations and previous infection and the availability of effective medications for those at increased risk for severe disease, we are in a much better place than we were three years ago.”

Do You Need a Booster?

Regardless of past vaccination status with the monovalent/original mRNA vaccine, everyone who hasn’t yet can receive a single Omicron booster, which is also called the Bivalent vaccine. This can provide additional protection against circulating strains.

The newer Bivalent booster rolled out last fall and contains components from the original virus strain as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants. It is now the standard for COVID-19 boosters and can be given as a primary first dose too.

Here are the current simplified guidelines:

• Everyone 6 years of age and older should get one Bivalent Covid-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) to be considered up to date.
• People aged 65 years and older may get a second updated booster (at least 4 months after they had their first).
• For those under 65, only people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may also get a second Bivalent booster dose (2 months after their first dose). Those with other underlying medical conditions only need a single Bivalent dose to be up to date.
• Children 6 months through 5 years of age may receive one or more doses of the updated vaccine depending on the number of doses they previously received.

“For many of us, it has been a significant period of time since a previous dose of COVID-19 vaccine,” Meyerson says. “The availability of the Bivalent vaccine offers an excellent opportunity to reduce our risk of infection, illness, and transmission of the virus to those around us.”

To schedule a booster, call our local staff at (800) 432-4121.

Although COVID hasn’t gone away, our community is in a stronger place today because we have the tools to protect one another, especially safe and effective vaccines.

The COVID vaccines continue to work very well at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

Now, updated COVID vaccines are here for people 6 months or older to help protect against Omicron.

• Get your updated vaccine now if you’re vaccinated and your last dose was before September 2022 (October 2022 for kids 6 months – 11 years).
• Otherwise, wait until 2 months after you complete your primary vaccination series to get your updated vaccine dose. Completing your primary vaccination series means you got your first 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax vaccine, or your 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
• If you recently had COVID, you should wait 3 months from when you got sick to get your updated vaccine.
• Children 6 months – 4 years who got all 3 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech primary vaccination series don’t need an updated vaccine at this time.

Where to find COVID-19 vaccines

You have 3 ways to find free vaccines near you:

• Go to vaccines.gov
• Text your ZIP code to 438829
• Call 1-800-232-0233

Remember to bring your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record card when you go for your updated vaccine.

For more information

Visit cdc.gov/coronavirus or talk to a health care provider.

Pfizer authorized for 5 and older; Moderna for 6 and older

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine – also known as the Omicron Booster – for children as young as five years old. The single-dose booster may be given at least two months after children and adults complete the primary or other booster vaccinations.

The Omicron Booster has replaced the original COVID-19 booster formulas. Similar to how flu shots are updated annually, the booster contains components from the original virus strain as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Previously approved for anyone 12 years and older, the younger age group was added Friday through the FDA amending emergency use authorizations for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.

The Omicron Booster includes components from the original virus strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 variants to provide better protection against COVID-19, according to the FDA. By including specific genetic material, the vaccine instructs cells in the body to make the distinctive “spike” protein of the original virus strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants.

“Because of the medical advances, we are far from the pandemic state we faced in 2020 and 2021. The boosters, which now help children as young as five, are protecting people throughout the region and world,” said Dr. Joshua Meyerson, Health Department of Northwest Michigan (HDNW) Medical Director. “Anyone who has completed the primary series is now being offered the bivalent booster. With children back in school and people resuming pre-pandemic activities, it’s wise to remain diligent about protecting yourself and those around you.”

Based on interest, staff at HDNW has added the Omicron Booster to the fall flu clinics. Because both vaccines may be given the same day, many residents are taking advantage of one stop, two vaccines.

The agency’s central intake staff is answering calls and scheduling appointments. To keep up with demand, HDNW has expanded the number of onsite clinics in all four counties. In response to invitations to bring teams into businesses, senior living facilities, and schools, HDNW is also staffing community-based clinics to make the vaccines more accessible.

In October and November, there are about 50 flu/Omicron Booster clinics scheduled at HDNW sites. An additional 42 community-based clinics are in play: 12 at schools, 13 at businesses, and 17 at senior-focused facilities.

While Omicron Boosters may be scheduled online, appointments to receive both the flu vaccine and the new booster at the same appointment should be made by calling 800-432-4121. To date, more than 6.8 million Michigan residents, ages 6 months and up, have gotten at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

Although COVID hasn’t gone away, our community is in a stronger place today because we have the tools to protect one another, especially safe and effective vaccines.

The COVID vaccines continue to work very well at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

Now, updated COVID vaccines are here for everyone 12 or older to help protect against Omicron.

• It doesn’t matter which COVID vaccine you got (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen) or how many boosters you’ve already gotten.
• Get your updated vaccine 2 months after your last dose.

Where to find COVID-19 vaccines

You have 3 ways to find free vaccines near you:

• Go to vaccines.gov
• Text your ZIP code to 438829
• Call 1-800-232-0233

Remember to bring your CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record card when you go for your updated vaccine.

For more information

Visit cdc.gov/coronavirus or talk to a health care provider.