Requested actions
- Be aware, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommend children 5–11 years old get a booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 5 months after completing their primary series.
- The recommendation came after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to children 5–11 years old.
- Once CDC issues standing orders, we will begin administering at Health Department immunization sites.
- Be aware, CDC strengthened its recommendation that immunocompromised people 12 years or older and all people 50 years or older get a second booster dose 4 months after their first booster dose.
- Be aware, Washington State Department of Health (DOH) updated its standing orders for:
- Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine adult formulations (grey cap and purple cap).
- Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
- Increase access to Evusheld COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis for people 12 years or older who weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg) and:
- Are moderately or severely immunocompromised and may not mount an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccine.
- Or have a history of severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccine.
- To administer Evusheld, enroll in Healthcare Partner Ordering Portal (HPoP). For help, email mcm@doh.wa.gov
Vaccine
- Clinical considerations for the use of COVID-19 vaccine, CDC.
- Clinician outreach and communication activity (COCA) call slides, CDC.
- Booster dose updates, FDA.
- EUA and FDA-approved vaccine information:
- DOH updated standing orders for COVID-19 vaccine:
- Moderna (18 years or older).
- Pfizer (12 years or older):
- 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.
- Training resources for COVID-19 vaccine providers, DOH.
- Pediatric healthcare professional COVID-19 vaccination toolkit, CDC.
- COVID-19 media toolkit to promote vaccination in children and youth, Washington Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP).
Testing
Processing times
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 | 300-350 |
| Kaiser | 24–48 hours | 600 |
| LabCorp | 48–96 hours | Unknown |
| Northwest Pathology | 24–48 hours | 3,000 |
| Quest | 24–48 hours | 700 |
| UW Virology | 24–72 hours | 6,500 |
| Atlas Genomic | 24–48 hours | 10,000 |
Therapeutics
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 to order therapies in HPoP to manage COVID-19 therapies. For help, email mcm@doh.wa.gov.
Additional information
- COVID-19 therapeutics locator for providers, HHS.
- Therapeutics for providers page, DOH.
- Our COVID-19 treatment information for providers page.
- COVID-19 therapeutics resources, HHS.
- COVID-19 treatment guidelines, National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Paxlovid fact sheet for healthcare providers, FDA.
- Paxlovid patient eligibility screening checklist for prescribers, FDA.
Prevention
Share with patients:
- What to do if you test positive for COVID-19, DOH.
- What to do if you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, DOH.
Reporting
Confirmed cases can be reported to us via fax to our secure fax line (360) 425-7531. To report by phone, call (360) 414-5599 x 6431 during business hours, (360) 636-9595 after hours.
Contacting the Health Department
Questions? Contact Cowlitz County Health & Human Services at (360) 414-5599.