HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs COVID-19 Update

October 21, 2022  

Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel: CDC published an MMWR on Influenza and COVID-19 vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel . Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months, including health care personnel (HCP). HCP influenza vaccination coverage was 79.9% during the 2021–22 season; 87.3% completed primary COVID-19 vaccination, 67.1% of whom received a COVID-19 booster dose. Influenza, primary COVID-19, and COVID-19 booster coverage was higher among HCP who reported employer vaccination requirements for those vaccines; coverage was lowest among HCP working in long-term care settings. Enhanced efforts are needed to improve HCP vaccination coverage, especially with COVID-19 booster doses and annually for influenza vaccines. Staying up to date with COVID-19 and influenza vaccines can protect HCP and their patients.

Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP) Eligible Learning Collaborative

October 20, 2022

Understanding and Improving Health Equity in Rural Health Care Settings: Challenges and Solutions to Address Rural Health Disparities

Register to Participate in RHPTP Eligible Learning Collaborative

This virtual learning collaborative (LC) will focus on challenges and solutions specific to rural health providers to support improvement in health equity and reduction in health disparities. The interactive collaborative will include four (4) virtual, 60-minute learning sessions and additional brief readings and/or reflections between sessions to support understanding of disparities and strategies to address them.

By participating in this LC, participants will be able to: 

  • Define health disparities and health equity and describe them within the context of their rural community
  • Assess if and how health equity and disparities are being addressed in their organization
  • Identify opportunities and strategies to intentionally use data, resources, and tools to improve health equity and embed equity in organizational culture and operations
  • Discuss new regulations and requirements for health care organizations to address health equity

This series is intended for executive team members, human resources, quality and safety, clinicians, and others invested in health equity.

This series will be held on the first Thursday of each month from 2:00-3:00 PM Central Time beginning Thursday, December 8, 2022 – March 2, 2023.

This LC is open for RHPTP eligible small rural hospitals and certified rural health clinics.

 

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA) Monkeypox Briefing

October 19, 2022

HHS IEA Weekly Monkeypox Briefing

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, the White House National Monkeypox Response team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for a Monkeypox briefing Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. These briefings are held every other week.

Date: Thursday, October 20
Time: 2:00 PM EST
Register for the briefing here.

Monkeypox Response Equity Resources

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA) New Funds for Mental Health Crisis

October 18, 2022

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Millions of Dollars in New Funds for States to Tackle Mental Health Crisis

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing a new funding opportunity, authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), for states to develop and transform Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to address the country’s mental health crisis. CCBHCs provide crisis services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay.

In addition to the nearly $300 million awarded in September for new and existing CCBHCs, $15 million in additional funding is now being announced for CCBHC planning. This additional round of planning grants kicks off national CCBHC expansion under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and will expand access to planning grants for CCBHC’s to all 50 states.

Today’s announcement builds on the progress President Biden has made in his commitment to tackling the country’s mental health crisis by expanding access to mental and behavioral health supports and services – a key priority outlined in his first State of the Union address.

Read Press Release

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs: HHS Disparities Council Briefing

October 18, 2022

HHS IEA Briefing on Monkeypox

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for our weekly Monkeypox briefing on Thursday at 2:00 PM ET.  These briefings are held every other week.

Date: Thursday, October 20th
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Register for the briefing here

HHS Amends PREP Act declaration increasing workforce authorized to administer Monkeypox vaccines

October 7, 2022

HHS amends PREP Act declaration increasing workforce authorized to administer Monkeypox vaccines

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra today amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) declaration for smallpox medical countermeasures to expand the categories of providers authorized to administer vaccines and therapeutics against smallpox, Monkeypox virus, and other orthopoxviruses in a declared emergency.

“As our supply of JYNNEOS vaccine steadily increases, we are exceeding demand in all 50 states,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell. “By expanding the pool of providers who can administer Monkeypox vaccines, we can increase equitable access for people at high risk for Monkeypox infections who have not yet had an opportunity to get vaccinated.”

This declaration expands the types of providers who, with outlined training and supervision, are covered persons authorized to administer vaccines and therapeutics against smallpox (variola virus), Monkeypox virus, and other orthopoxviruses, in addition to the professionals already licensed or authorized under their state laws to administer these vaccines and therapeutics. The list of authorized providers now includes:

  • advanced or intermediate emergency medical technicians,
  • dentists,
  • licensed or certified professional midwives,
  • nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses,
  • optometrists,
  • paramedics,
  • pharmacists,
  • pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians,
  • physicians,
  • physician assistants,
  • podiatrists,
  • respiratory therapists,
  • veterinarians, and
  • recently retired healthcare professionals and students of the listed professions.

Subject to certain limitations, a covered person is immune from suit and liability under federal and state law with respect to all claims for loss resulting from the administration or use of a covered countermeasure if a declaration under the PREP Act has been issued with respect to such countermeasure.

All authorized providers must administer all countermeasures in accordance with all relevant requirements and recommendations of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and consistent with the scope of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) approval, authorization, and any applicable expanded access requirements of FDA’s protocol.

The amendment announced today also:

  • Makes explicit that the declaration applies to public health threats arising from smallpox (variola virus), Monkeypox virus, and other orthopoxviruses. In 2008, the HHS Secretary issued a declaration under the PREP Act for smallpox medical countermeasures which was amended in 2016 to provide liability coverage for “smallpox countermeasures against variola virus or other orthopoxviruses” which includes Monkeypox.
  • Extends the effective time period of the declaration to December 31, 2032. This extension allows coverage for manufacturers, distributors and other covered persons through that date.
  • Allows coverage for the administration of countermeasures by subcutaneous, intradermal, or intramuscular injections, dermal/percutaneous scarification, orally or intranasally in response to a declared emergency by authorized qualified persons to be extended during the relevant emergency or December 31, 2032, whichever occurs first. A declared emergency can be any federal, state, regional, or local declaration.

The amended declaration can be found in the Federal Register and answers to frequently asked questions about Monkeypox PREP Act can be found on ASPR’s website.

Jurisdictions across the country have ordered approximately 835,700 vials of the approximately 1.1 million vials of JYNNEOS vaccine HHS had allocated to prevent Monkeypox.

Also at the request from jurisdictions, ASPR has distributed approximately 38,000 patient courses of the drug TPOXX to treat patients infected with Monkeypox, particularly those with severe disease, or at risk for severe disease, such as immunocompromised, and pediatric cases. TPOXX is approved to treat smallpox and is only available under an expanded access investigational new drug protocol to treat Monkeypox infections.

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Providing Protection Against Omicron Variant Available at No Cost

October 7, 2022

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Providing Protection Against Omicron Variant Available at No Cost

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has announced that people with Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage, private insurance coverage, or no health coverage can get COVID-19 vaccines, including the updated (bivalent) Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, at no cost, for as long as the federal government continues purchasing and distributing these COVID-19 vaccines. Updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has diminished since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading.

The boosters are authorized for use per the following:

  • Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent authorized for use in people ages 18 years and older.
  • Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent authorized for use in people ages 12 years and older.

Authorized as single booster dose administered at least 2 months after either:

  • Completion of primary vaccination with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine, or
  • Receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Link to full News Alert

The CMS Office of Minority Health Director Dr. LaShawn McIver participated in a livestream forum with BlackDoctors.Org on October 4 to answer questions about vaccines including the newly updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Helpful Resources

News Release: Missouri WIC works to improve health of 80,000 Missourians each month

October 6, 2022

Missouri WIC works to improve health of 80,000 Missourians each month

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Every month, over 80,000 Missourians participate in the Missouri WIC program. WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The program provides quality nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, nutritious foods, and referrals to health services.

Missouri WIC offers healthy food choices that target specific essential nutrients often missing from the diets of participants, such as iron, calcium, protein, and vitamins A, C, and D. To meet these needs, the WIC food package includes fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk and yogurt along with other nutritious foods.

“The WIC program takes into consideration the distinct needs of the women, infants, and children it serves, providing participants with individualized nutrition counseling and then prescribes a food package to fit their nutritional needs,” said Angie Oesterly, Missouri WIC Director. “Breastfeeding mothers receive additional support to ensure a successful breastfeeding journey for their infant and themselves.”

To qualify for the WIC program, participants must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a pregnant, breastfeeding, or new mother; an infant up to age one; or a child up to their fifth birthday; and
  • Be a resident of Missouri; and
  • Meet income eligibility requirements.

Missourians interested in learning about the benefits of WIC may visit by clicking here or call TEL-LINK at 1-800-835-5465 to find the WIC local agency in their county.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Nondiscrimination and complaint information can be found on our website at wic.mo.gov.

WIC is funded by the USDA and is administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs

October 5, 2022

HHS IEA Weekly Monkeypox Briefing

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for a Monkeypox briefing TOMORROW at 2:00 PM EST. Starting this week, these briefings will be held every other Thursday (next briefing 10/20).

Date: Thursday, October 6
Time: 2:00 PM EST
Register for the briefing here.

Monkeypox Response Equity Resources