• The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States among people 18 and older, and CDC has adopted those recommendations. On February 27, the FDA authorized this vaccine for use in the United States. Read yesterday's statement from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky: https://bit.ly/3b2FcUs

• Coronavirus Self-Checker - The Coronavirus Self-Checker is an interactive clinical assessment tool that will assist individuals ages 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 on deciding when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

• By drilling down to the county level, the COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage Index (CVAC) shows precisely which barriers each U.S. community is likely to face in achieving high vaccine coverage and why, so we can develop targeted solutions to help them.

• This infographic from the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation explores aging during COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy in older adults and those who take care of them, the long term effects the pandemic will have on long-term care settings and how we address aging in the United States.

• New DHS COVID-19 page: Vaccine Partner Resources
• COVID-19: DHS Announces New Groups Eligible for Vaccine Beginning March 1

• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services launched a new COVID-19 vaccine provider map, which displays vaccine sites that are actively vaccinating in Wisconsin. The purpose of the map is twofold: to improve transparency in the vaccine distribution process by acknowledging which enrolled providers are being allocated doses, and to help Wisconsinites find and connect with local vaccine providers in their area.

• DHS has published updated Assisted Living COVID-19 Testing Guidance based on the State of Wisconsin Testing Framework, P-02709. This guidance is published at DHS COVID-19: Assisted Living

• DHS released its Recommendations for Coordination of COVID-19 Vaccination of Individuals Eligible March 1, 2021. The document was developed based upon discussions with representatives from health care associations and local/tribal health departments. It includes further details about the newly eligible groups, considerations for advancing equity, information about potential vaccination partners for each group, and information about state resources available to support vaccine providers. The document will be updated as needed. The most recent version can always be found here, and it will be posted to the DHS COVID-19 Vaccine Program webpage.

• DHS recommends that health care organizations limit the reuse of N95 respirators to one respirator per staff member per shift. This is based on accumulating evidence showing that reuse of respirators impacts the fit and overall protection against airborne pathogens.

• As indicated in HAN 27, DHS is fully adopting CDC’s latest quarantine guidance for fully vaccinated individuals. This guidance indicates that fully vaccinated individuals meeting specific criteria are not required to quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19. However, these individuals should continue to self-monitor for symptoms during the full 14-day incubation period and be clinically evaluated and tested if they develop any symptoms of COVID-19.

• DHS’ agreement with CDC requires us to “distribute or administer vaccine without discriminating on non-public-health grounds within a prioritized group.” DHS has determined that in order to protect the public health of the residents of Wisconsin, vaccine allocated to the State should be administered to those who live, work, or study in the State of Wisconsin. Vaccinators may target their vaccination effort to residents of their particular jurisdiction or constituency, however, may not turn someone away who lives, works, or studies in the State of Wisconsin.

• The recent guidance from CDC on facemasks focuses on the fit and filtration of masks for protection of health care personnel and the general community. The guidance is based on a recent CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure.

• MMWR:
• Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure.
• Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Elementary School Educators and Students in One School District--Georgia, December 2020-January 2021
• COVID-19 Outbreak Among Attendees of an Exercise Facility--Chicago, Illinois, August-September 2020
• Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at Three Fitness Facilities--Hawaii, June-July 2020

• A: There are several best practices to do so.

1. Scheduling Practices: Schedule vaccination appointments in accordance with your vaccine inventory and your clinics’ anticipated patient throughput.
2. Estimate your Population Correctly: Accurately estimate how many doses you need. If possible, prior to a vaccination clinic, screen your patients for eligibility and acceptance and plan accordingly for how many doses you will need.
3. Estimate Doses Needed Correctly: If you are consistently drawing up the extra doses out of Moderna vials (e.g., the 11^th dose), factor that into your scheduling practices.
4. Only Open Vials as Needed: Make sure you only have one vial open at any given time even if you have multiple vaccinators working concurrently at a clinic.

• A: Here are some additional strategies to further reduce vaccine wastage from occurring.

1. Recruit Eligible Individuals: Recruit additional eligible individuals to be vaccinated. Consider outreaching to organizations in your area (e.g., aging and disability resource centers; smaller healthcare agencies) to see if they know of eligible individuals who could come in at the end of the clinic, or the next day.
2. Create a Stand-by List: A list of eligible individuals who could come in sooner than their future scheduled appointment.
3. Unplanned Redistribution: If you are approaching the expiration date (i.e., 120 hours for Pfizer or 30 days for Moderna), you can contact your DHS regional manager (if you have one) or email DHS. DHS can attempt to get those unopened vials to another nearby clinic to use. Do not do this on your own.
4. Last Resort Vaccination: If you identify you have additional doses due to an opened vial at the end of a vaccination clinic day, you are encouraged to use the remaining doses instead of wasting vaccine. DHS strongly encourages all vaccinators to establish protocols to identify individuals who are in the currently eligible group for this extra vaccine before administering vaccine to other individuals who may be readily available but not yet eligible.

• Assisted Living Forum- Tuesday, March 9, March 23, April 6, April 20, 2021 from 10:00- 11:30 a.m
• Join Zoom Meeting (click this link to go straight to the room without needing to enter the meeting ID and password)
• Meeting ID: 941 6620 8285
• Phone: +1 301 715 8592

• Thursdays, 10:30 AM-12 PM - DHS Long-Term Care Webinar
• Join Zoom Meeting (click this link to go straight to the room without needing to enter the meeting ID and password)
• Meeting ID: 948 1795 1711 / Password: covid19
• Phone: (312) 626-6799 / Enter # if asked for participant ID
• The webinar will be recorded and posted to the here under Resources.

• Bi-weekly on Fridays, 7 AM - DHS Weekly COVID-19 Webinar for Health Care and Nursing Home Providers (Upcoming date: February 19)
• Click here to join the webinar
• Or dial:  312 626 6799 or 646 558 8656
• Webinar ID: 233 994 680
• Webinars are held on the first and third Fridays of the month
• Access recordings of previous COVID-19 provider webinars here.

• Fridays, 10 AM - COVID-19 Vaccination stakeholder webinar
• Once you register for this weekly webinar, you can use the same link to join each Friday at 10 AM
• View the recordings of past webinars here