The Alameda County Public Health Department sends out Health Alerts, Advisories, and Updates regarding communicable disease outbreaks, immunization updates, and other public health concerns to Alameda County clinicians and other partners. See recent releases below.
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Health Alerts
ALERT | conveys the highest level of importance; warrants immediate action or attention. |
ADVISORY | provides important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action. |
UPDATE | provides updated information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action. |
March 31, 2022 |
Advisory |
Outpatient Therapies for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients The purpose of this Health Advisory is to inform clinicians in Alameda County about the availability of outpatient therapies for high-risk patients with 1) mild to moderate COVID-19 illness who are not yet hospitalized; or 2) ongoing risk of exposure to COVID-19. When resources are limited, therapy should be prioritized for patients who are at the highest risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, as described in the NIH Panel’s interim statement. As availability increases, it may be possible to offer available therapies to all eligible patients.
Please also visit our COVID-19 website. For questions regarding the distribution of COVID-19 outpatient therapeutic products within ALCO, please contact Cynthia Frankel, RN, Alameda County Therapeutics Distribution Lead at cynthia.frankel@acgov.org. For clinical questions about COVID-19 therapeutics, please contact Arnie Spanjers, MD, Alameda County Public Health Department at arnie.spanjers@acgov.org |
February 28, 2022 |
Advisory |
FDA Revises Evusheld Dosing in EUA The FDA has revised the EUA for Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab) to increase the initial dose to 300 mg of tixagevimab and 300 mg of cilgavimab. Patients who have already received the previously authorized dose (150 mg of tixagevimab and 150 mg of cilgavimab) should receive an additional dose of 150 mg of tixagevimab and 150 mg of cilgavimab as soon as possible. Evusheld is authorized for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for prevention of COVID-19 in certain adult and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg). Based on the most recent available data, a higher dose may be more likely to prevent infection by Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.1.1 than the originally authorized Evusheld dose. Please also review our recent Health Advisory, Outpatient Therapies for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients, regarding the availability of therapeutics for patients with 1) mild to moderate COVID-19 illness who are not yet hospitalized; or 2) ongoing risk of exposure to COVID-19. Information is also available on our COVID-19 website. For questions regarding the distribution of COVID-19 outpatient therapeutic products within ALCO, please contact Cynthia Frankel, RN, Alameda County Therapeutics Distribution Lead at cynthia.frankel@acgov.org. For clinical questions about COVID-19 therapeutics, please contact Arnie Spanjers, MD, Alameda County Public Health Department at arnie.spanjers@acgov.org. |
February 24, 2022 |
Advisory |
UPDATE: COVID-19 CMR Reporting COVID-19 CMR Reporting Updates Actions: Health Care Providers in Alameda County should submit COVID-19 Confidential Morbidity Reports (CMRs) within 24 hours on patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection that have been hospitalized or have died. Providers should continue to report on patients with Multi-System Inflammatory Syndromes in Children (MIS-C). Healthcare facilities should continue to report weekly COVID-19 cases to CDPH as per AFL 21-25. Laboratories must continue to report positive and negative results via Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) or by fax within 24 hours. ACTIONS REQUESTED OF CLINICIANS:
Additional Resources: Order of the State Public Health Officer: Revision of Mandatory Reporting of Covid-19 Results by Health Care Providers Email: COVIDreport@acgov.org
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February 22, 2022 |
Advisory |
Update on Distribution and Patient Prioritization for Evusheld The purpose of the CAHAN is to inform clinicians that:
Please also review our recent Health Advisory, Outpatient Therapies for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients, regarding the availability of therapeutics for patients with 1) mild to moderate COVID-19 illness who are not yet hospitalized; or 2) ongoing risk of exposure to COVID-19. Information is also available on our website at https://covid-19.acgov.org/antibody-treatment For questions regarding the distribution of COVID-19 outpatient therapeutic products within ALCO, please contact Cynthia Frankel, RN, Alameda County Therapeutics Distribution Lead at cynthia.frankel@acgov.org For clinical questions about COVID-19 therapeutics, please contact Arnie Spanjers, MD, Alameda County Public Health Department at arnie.spanjers@acgov.org |
February 14, 2022 |
Advisory |
UPDATE! COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Eligibility On Friday, February 11th, the CDC updated its guidance for COVID-19 vaccination for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised:
The CDC also clarified that immunocompromised persons who have completed their primary series of 3 mRNA doses should receive an mRNA vaccine booster dose—to make a total of 4 doses. Also, for those who previously received passive COVID-19 antibody products, the CDC no longer recommends a waiting period prior to COVID-19 vaccination. |
February 03, 2022 |
Advisory |
Ivermectin + Therapeutics Changes for Outpatient Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 On February 1, 2022, the CDC shared the following COCA Now: Ivermectin Products are Not Approved by FDA to Prevent or Treat COVID-19. Clinicians should be aware of the symptoms associated with ivermectin overdose, including:
Ivermectin may also increase sedative effects of other medications such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates. On February 2, 2022, CDPH released the following health alert: CaHAN (Omicron Variant Update: Therapeutics Changes for Outpatient Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19) For questions regarding the distribution of COVID-19 outpatient therapeutic products within ALCO, please contact Cynthia Frankel, RN, Alameda County Therapeutics Distribution Lead at cynthia.frankel@acgov.org For clinical questions about COVID-19 therapeutics, please contact Arnie Spanjers, MD, Alameda County Public Health Department at arnie.spanjers@acgov.org For the full health advisory, please see ACPHD's Health Advisory. |
January 28, 2022 |
Advisory |
Outpatient Therapies for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients The purpose of this Health Advisory is to inform clinicians in Alameda County about the availability of outpatient therapies for high-risk patients with 1) mild to moderate COVID-19 illness who are not yet hospitalized; or 2) ongoing risk of exposure to COVID-19. When resources are limited, therapy should be prioritized for patients who are at the highest risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, as described in the NIH Panel’s interim statement. Please see the full health advisory full details and visit our COVID-19 website. For questions regarding the distribution of COVID-19 outpatient therapeutic products within ALCO, please contact Cynthia Frankel, RN, Alameda County Therapeutics Distribution Lead at cynthia.frankel@acgov.org For clinical questions about COVID-19 therapeutics, please contact Arnie Spanjers, MD, Alameda County Public Health Department at arnie.spanjers@acgov.org |
January 19, 2022 |
Advisory |
Prioritization of COVID-19 CMR Reporting The increase of COVID-19 cases in Alameda County caused by the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is creating a substantial burden on communities, health care systems, and providers. Alameda County is closely monitoring the situation. Submission of Confidential Morbidity Reports (CMRs) for COVID-19 cases is required by state regulation but may be challenging during periods of high case volume. Until further notice, clinical providers in Alameda County should prioritize submission of CMRs for patients with COVID-19 that have been hospitalized or have died. CMRs for other COVID cases should continue to be submitted as capacity allows. Multi-System Inflammatory Syndromes in Children (MIS-C) is required to be reported separately, and should continue to be prioritized for CMR submission. Laboratories must continue to report positive and negative results via Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) or by fax. Please see the full health advisory for details, including actions requested of clinicians and additional resources. |
December 28, 2021 |
Advisory |
Changes to J&J Guidance and CDPH Booster Requirements Due to the risk of Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare but serious adverse event, the CDC now recommends the use of mRNA vaccines over the Janssen/J&J vaccine for all vaccine-eligible persons. Vaccine providers should start the two-dose mRNA vaccine series even if there is uncertainty about how the patient will receive their second dose; setting alone should not be a reason to offer the J&J vaccine. However, J&J may be offered in some situations as described below:
For more information, please review the CDC’s Interim Clinical Considerations. As Omicron spreads, it is important that providers encourage all eligible patients to get a booster, especially those over 50 or those with significant underlying health conditions. For more information, please see PDF. |
December 28, 2021 |
Alert |
CAHAN Disease Notification - CDPH Health Alert - Authorization of Paxlovid On December 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, co-packaged for oral use) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms). The federal government will be allocating Paxlovid to states, and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will allocate Paxlovid to jurisdictions based on new COVID-19 cases and an equity measure. Given the limited amount of Paxlovid available, product scarcity is expected. The attached Health Alert outlines suggested prioritization of patients for Paxlovid and ethical considerations in settings of limited availability. On December 23, 2021, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Merck’s molnupiravir for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults. More information about the allocation of molnupiravir is coming soon. For clinical questions, please contact Arnie Spanjers, MD, at arnie.spanjers@acgov.org For allocation questions, please contact Cynthia Frankel, RN, MN at cynthia.frankel@acgov.org
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December 01, 2021 |
Alert |
SARS-CoV-2 virus variant of concern B.1.1.529 (Omicron) On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization designated a new variant, B1.1.529 (Omicron) as a variant of concern (VOC). The CAHAN provides key information for health care providers on what we currently know about this variant and recommendations for detecting and reporting cases associated with this variant. Today, a single case of COVID-19 in a traveler returning from South Africa was identified in San Francisco. Please see statements from the CDC and CDPH for additional information.
Health care providers should ask patients about travel history especially during this winter respiratory virus season.
See advisories for additional details and guidance.
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November 30, 2021 |
Advisory |
Increasing Influenza A (H3N2) Activity On November 24, 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about increased influenza A(H3N2) activity that could mark the beginning of the 2021-2022 influenza season. The purpose of this HAN Health Advisory is to:
Please review the full health advisory for detailed recommendations on testing, treatment, post-exposure prophylaxis, public education and additional resources for clinicians. |