Welcome to the monthly edition of the ICLAC newsletter.
The newsletter is published the last week of each month for upcoimg month.
 Editor, Arely Briseño, MPH, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Associate Editor Victoria Jones, MPH, CDC Public Health Associate Program, hosted by the
 Los Angeles County Public Health Vaccine Preventable Disease Control Team.
ICLAC Community Spotlight
ICLAC Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month!
Thank you to all who joined the Fall Vaccine Forum!
If you missed the Final Forum for 2023, above are the English and Spanish recordings.
You can download the presentation here.
Free COVID-19 Tests Now Available!
FREE! At-home COVID-19 test kits – As of September 25, 2023, residential households in the U.S. can order one set of #4 free at-home tests from USPS.com again.
WHERE TO GET VACCINATED
Find Everything you need to know about immunizations for the Fall!
- New LAC DPH Vaccines Website!
- Information on Flu vaccination outreach clinic schedules
- Updated COVID-19 Vaccine and Access
- Updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available! Everyone 6 months & older should get vaccinated with the updated vaccine. Vaccines are a proven & effective tool to prevent severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.
LA County Vaccine , COVID News, Updates & More
LA County COVID-19 Case Rates
As of September 19, Los Angeles County reported an average of 475 COVID-19 cases, down from 558 the week prior. Reported cases do not include home tests, so the actual number of COVID infections in the community is much higher. This past week, there was an average of 597 hospital admissions per day. While nearly twice as high as the number of COVID-19-positive hospitalizations a month ago, it is a small decrease from the previous week. For more information, please visit the LA County COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard.
COVID-19 Resources
Should Long COVID Patients Get the Flu, RSV, and New Booster Shots?
This article evaluates the current guidelines available to make vaccine recommendations to patients experiencing long COVID. Click here to read the full article.
COVID Cases are on the rise in the U.S. and Around the World
According to the lasts data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID hospitalizations and deaths are continuing to rise. Click here for the full story from Fortune Well.
Cross Sectional Study on COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Hesitancy among Hispanic Adults.
The results of this study were used to inform targeted community outreach strategies and public health campaigns to increase booster vaccine uptake in Puerto Rico. Click here to read the full article.
RSV Updates
CDC recommended the first respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for pregnant people to protect their newborn from severe RSV illness. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for U.S. infants. CDC recommends seasonal administration of one dose of RSV vaccine for pregnant people during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy.Â
There are now two new tools to protect infants against severe RSV disease: seasonal (Sept-Mar) vaccination of pregnant people at 32-36 weeks of gestation, or immunization of infants aged <8 months with nirsevimab.
Flu Updates
CDC launched a new digital flu vaccine campaign called Wild to Mild to share key information with the public about flu vaccine. The campaign focuses on encouraging flu vaccination among higher risk groups, especially pregnant people and children, given drops in vaccination uptake in those groups since the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for resources to help promote Wild to Mild flu campaign!
Infectious Respiratory Disease Vaccination Updates for 2023-2024 Virus SeasonÂ
This is the first virus season where vaccines are available for the three infectious respiratory diseases responsible for most hospitalizations – COVID-19, RSV and flu. Vaccines.gov has been updated to include a vaccination locator for both COVID-19 and flu. Â
NEW! Pneumococcal Pneumonia Resources for Healthcare ProfessionalsÂ
The American Lung Association has created a new webpage to house resources for healthcare professionals to stay updated on pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination guidelines, educate patients, and increase vaccine confidence. Visit the website to download a poster to share in provider offices, download a vaccination appointment referral card and access other helpful resources such as educational videos for patients, conversation tips, and more.Â
