Requested actions
- Be aware, on March 29, 2022, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended its emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna COVID-19 booster dose vaccine.
- A new multi-dose vial is now available. It has a dark blue cap and a label with a purple border. Doses from this vial are 0.5 mL.
- Multi-dose vials are not yet available to order in Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS).
- Continue to draw 0.25 mL booster doses from Moderna COVID-19 vaccine vials with red caps.
- Be aware, on April 5, 2022, FDA rescinded its EUA for sotrovimab.
- A large proportion of COVID-19 cases are caused by the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant and data shows sotrovimab is ineffective against it.
- Use other approved or authorized products to treat COVID-19.
- Be aware, FDA updated its EUA for Evusheld.
- It is now clear how to dose patients who initially got only 150 mg of tixagevimab and 150 mg of cilgavimab. If the initial dose was:
- Less than 3 months ago, the patient should get 150 mg tixagevimab and 150 mg cilgavimab.
- More than 3 months ago, the patient should get 300 mg of tixagevimab and 300 mg cilgavimab.
- It is now clear how to dose patients who initially got only 150 mg of tixagevimab and 150 mg of cilgavimab. If the initial dose was:
- Be aware, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program no longer accepts vaccine administration, testing or treatment claims, due to lack of funds.
- Providers can apply to receive federal resources for healthcare services provided to uninsured and underinsured people living under 200% of the federal poverty level (regardless of immigration status) through the Health Care Authority Uninsured Care Expansion Grant. Submit applications before 4:59 p.m. PDT, April 15, 2022.
- Be aware, in partnership with Washington State Department of Health (DOH), we offer Test-to-Treat services to uninsured and underinsured Pierce County residents. Give the Test-to-Treat flyer to your patients who test positive for COVID-19 and are at high risk for severe illness.
- Teach patients how to access, use and interpret at-home COVID-19 test kits.
- Encourage patients to report positive test results to you or DOH at (800) 525-0127.
- Teach patients with mild to moderate illness how to care for themselves at home and when to go to the emergency department.
- Be aware, DOH no longer supplies Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
- Providers can post and look for available doses on WAIIS’s vaccine advertisement page.
- Email questions or concerns to covid.vaccine@doh.wa.gov.
COVID-19 vaccine information
- Clinical considerations for the use of COVID-19 vaccine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Clinician outreach and communication activity (COCA) call slides, CDC.
- Booster dose updates, FDA.
- EUA and FDA-approved vaccine information:
- Pfizer (Comirnaty).
- Moderna (Spikevax).
- Johnson & Johnson.
- COVID-19 vaccine locator, DOH.
- COVID-19 vaccine provider toolkit and resources, DOH.
- COVID-19 vaccination for providers, CDC.
- Clinical considerations for COVID-19 vaccination and guidance for managing anaphylaxis, CDC.
- COVID-19 vaccine quick reference guide for healthcare professionals, CDC.
- COVID-19 vaccine training module on best practices for providers, CDC.
COVID-19 testing
COVID-19 test processing
Labs report varying amounts of time to process COVID-19 tests. To support faster turnaround, we encourage providers to use in-state labs. The table below shows COVID-19 test processing times for in-state private labs.
| Lab | Time to process test | Tests processed daily |
|---|---|---|
| FidaLab | 24 hours | 150 |
| Kaiser | 24–48 hours | 3,000 |
| LabCorp | 24–48 hours | Unknown |
| Northwest Pathology | 12–24 hours | 3,000 |
| Quest | 24–48 hours | 700 |
| UW Virology | 24–72 hours | 5,000–6,000 |
| Atlas Genomic | 24–48 hours | 10,000 |
COVID-19 therapies
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocates monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals to each state. DOH distributes doses to enrolled providers. Providers must enroll in Healthcare Partner Ordering Portal (HPoP) to manage COVID-19 therapies. Email mcm@doh.wa.gov for support enrolling.
Once enrolled, to request a supply of monoclonal antibodies or therapeutics, complete a smart sheet. Beginning April 18, providers will be able to order treatments directly through HPoP.
Supplies of all therapies are limited. Commercial and independent pharmacies may have oral antivirals. Hospital-associated systems may have monoclonal antibodies. All therapies must be dispensed by prescription. Therapies from pharmacies may be intended for home delivery. Patients with questions about accessing their medication should call the pharmacy.
Additional information
- HHS COVID-19 therapeutics locator for providers.
- DOH therapeutics for providers page.
- HHS COVID-19 therapeutics resources.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 treatment guidelines.
COVID-19 prevention
Share with patients:
- What to do if you test positive for COVID-19.
- What to do if you were exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Immediately report COVID-19
Call the confidential Communicable Disease Line, 360-417-2412 and leave a message. You may also send demographic information and test results to the confidential fax, 360-452-4492.Contacting the Health Department
Here’s how you can contact us.- Front Desk 360-417-2274
- M-F 8:00am to 12:00pm and 12:30pm to 4:30pm
- Afterhours Answering Service 206-517-2384 – available after 4:30pm and weekends
- Communicable Disease Reporting – 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- Report Line 360-417-2412
- Confidential Fax 360-452-4492
Additional resources
- CDC COVID-19 health equity resources.
- Washington COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard.
- CDC guidance for healthcare providers and facilities.
- DOH COVID-19 data dashboard.
- DOH COVID-19 page.
- CDC COVID-19 page.
- Pierce County COVID-19 response and recovery page.
- Pierce County personal protective equipment (PPE) requests.
- SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and variants in Washington.