A publication of the Immunization Action Coalition of WA (IACW) and WithinReach
February 2022

Greetings!

Happy February! In honor of Black History Month, we'd like to take a moment to recognize the Black and African American communities that have contributed to COVID-19 vaccine efforts in the United States and acknowledge the vast amount of work left to be done towards culturally-responsive and equitable healthcare for BIPOC communities.

We would like to give a special shout out to these local organizations who center Black and African American communities in their COVID-19 vaccine engagement efforts: African Americans Reach and Teach Ministry (AARTH), Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Somali Health Board, Washington West African Center, RuntaNews, and People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN).

In addition, check out this great video from our partners at Vaccinate Your Family, which highlights important African American leaders throughout vaccine history.

Lastly, don't forget a flu vaccine this season! Learn more about getting a flu vaccine on Washington State Department of Health's website. You can catch the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. But, fortunately, you can get vaccinated for both! Visit Vaccines.gov to find COVID and flu shots near you.

This month's newsletter includes important community vaccine announcements, webinars and vaccination news. Please feel free to share this newsletter with your networks.

Stay safe, healthy and protect your community!

WithinReach
COVID-19 Resources and Tools

Washington state residents can now visit the Say Yes! COVID Test website to order rapid-antigen COVID-19 tests online, and will receive those tests delivered at no cost through Amazon.

Want to help more? See if you are eligible for an NIH-funded study called Test Us At Home, which will provide you home tests for two weeks at no cost. You will be provided up to $250 in incentives for doing regular home-based COVID-19 testing in the study.



The new web pages include information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine, safety and effectiveness, vaccine requirements, school and child care, life after the vaccine, and vaccine booster and additional doses. The pages also include links to other in-language resources. DOH will review and update the web pages regularly. The pages are easy to navigate and include visual tiles for different topics.



If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested as soon as you can. You can be tested by a healthcare provider, a public health testing site, or you can use either a self collection kit or a self-test that can be performed at home. These self-collection kits and self-tests are available either by prescription or over-the-counter in a pharmacy or retail store.


Do you have a hard time leaving home? Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department can help bring the vaccine to you. Access their flyer to learn about this program and visit their website to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and other services.


Community Opportunities

The COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Collaborative is a community engagement initiative launched by the DOH to ensure an equity and social justice lens is incorporated in the agency’s vaccine planning and implementation. The Collaborative centers the needs, requests and recommendations of communities and sectors that have been most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. If you are interested in joining the Collaborative, please fill out an interest form.

Upcoming Webinars & Events
This webinar is designed to improve the counseling skills of clinicians for discussing COVID-19 vaccination with ​pregnant and postpartum people, parents and caregivers of young children, and families. The training will also focus on addressing vaccine hesitancy and eliminating racial disparities in rates of COVID-19 vaccination.
 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and Pacific Northwest immunization partners will convene stakeholders for a series of three 90-minute meetings to promote adult immunizations.

This meeting will highlight the clinical efficacy of adult vaccines and methods to increase vaccine confidence.

April 27, 2022, Noon - 2:00 pm (PST)  
Save the date for our upcoming quarterly IACW meeting on April 27! Register today and stay tuned for an agenda.

Resources
Free E-Courses
Check out our free immunization e-courses on our Immunity Community website! These courses can be started and completed at any time. Courses are available for professionals who work in the immunization field.

QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?
Contact us: ic@withinreachwa.org
Making the connections Washington families need to be healthy and safe. Promoting, protecting & supporting immunization as a vital part of the health and development of children and families.

Founded in 1994, the Immunization Action Coalition of Washington (IACW), a program of WithinReach, works to improve the health of the community by minimizing the incidence of vaccine preventable diseases through the optimal use of immunizations across the lifespan.