CURRENT/EMERGING ISSUES & STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

1. Needing smaller dose vials to prevent waste and ensure that health centers are not penalized for unused doses.
2. Varying state-level minor consent laws create confusion for providers when unaccompanied youth present for vaccination. 
3. Scrambling to identify housing options as non-congregate shelters begin to close, but hesitant to return to densely populated congregate shelters.
4. Transitioning to integrating vaccine into primary care presents different logistical challenges.
5. Utilizing the plethora of one-time only federal funds is a great opportunity but requires significant effort to implement (develop program, hire, report on outcomes, etc.).
   

1. Measure the things you care about. It is not possible to assess equity work if you are not collecting the data.
2. Vaccine ambassadors (which ideally are paid positions) are more important than ever to engage people who are unsure about getting the vaccine.
3. Telehealth has been a gateway to engaging new clients and encouraging vaccine acceptance.
4. Start by meeting basic needs such as hygiene to build the trust necessary to get to vaccine acceptance.
5. Do not miss an opportunity to vaccinate a person when they are ready, even if that means wasting doses.
6. Use Lyft and Uber free transportation for people getting vaccinated between May 24 and July 4.
7. Use FEMA disaster relief funds to hire staff to build vaccine confidence.
   

POLICY DEVELOPMENTS

• The CDC issued new guidance stating that all fully vaccinated individuals may resume indoor and outdoor activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing unless in crowded areas. The guidance states that for those who “live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.” Additional guidance states that people residing in homeless shelters and other congregate housing should continue to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. Note this guidance does not apply to health care settings.
• The CDC and FDA approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for youth ages 12-15, making all individuals 12 years old and older eligible. In many states, unaccompanied youth are able to provide their own consent for vaccination.
• On May 5, a federal judge ruled that the CDC’s moratorium on evictions exceeded the agency’s authority. The Department of Justice has filed suit against this ruling and the order has been temporarily stayed pending appeal, meaning that the eviction moratorium is still in place.
• HUD and HHS announced a joint-agency effort to increase access to COVID-19 prevention and treatment services, including testing and vaccines for disproportionately affected communities. Secretaries Becerra and Fudge directed their organizations to work collaboratively on these efforts. See the fact sheet for more information.
• As part of the American Rescue Plan, HUD announced the release of 70,000 emergency housing vouchers (EHVs) to public housing agencies to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness; at risk of experiencing homelessness; fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; or were recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having high risk of housing instability.
• The Biden Administration announced $7.4 billion from the American Rescue Plan will be used to recruit and hire public health workers to respond to the pandemic and prepare for future public health challenges. Over $4 billion will be given to states and localities to expand public health departments with additional staff, and $3 billion will create a new grant program designed to continue positions such as Community Health Workers hired during the pandemic.
  

NEW RESOURCES

• NHCHC: COVID-19 Vaccines Infographic
• NHLC: Hotel Rooms, Not Hospital Beds: Protecting People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• CDC: Choosing Safer Activities Infographic
• CDC: Considerations for Use of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine in Certain Populations and Patient Counseling
• CDC MMWR: Demographic and Social Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination Initiation Among Adults Aged ≥ 65 Years – United States, December 14, 2020 – April 10, 2021
• CDC MMWR: Community-Based Testing for SARS-CoV-2 – Chicago, Illinois, May-November 2020
• CDC MMWR: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents Aged 12-15 Years – United States, May 2021
• CDC MMWR: Interim Estimates of Vaccine Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Among Health Care Personnel – 33 U.S. Sites, January-March 2021
• HHS: We Can Do This – COVID-19 Public Education Campaign
  

WHAT WE'RE READING

• STAT: CDC Advisory Group Gives Green Light to Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine for Adolescents
• WJLA/ABC News: Individualized Outreach: This DC COVID Vaccine Clinic Aims to Meet People Where They Are
• Arizona Daily Star: ‘Street Medicine’ Teams Tasked with Overcoming Falsehoods, Dispensing Shots in Tucson
  

• KHN: CVS and Walgreens Have Wasted More Vaccine Doses Than Most States Combined
• KHN: Latinos Are the Most Eager to Get Vaccinated, Survey Shows – But Face Obstacles
•  STAT: Researchers Fear People of Color May Be Disproportionately Affected By Long COVID
• KFF: COVID-19 Vaccines for 12-15- Year-Olds: Considerations for Vaccine Roll-Out