LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS

Please Re-register for Our Weekly Webinars
If you had previously registered for our weekly webinar, please re-register for future webinars. It’s quick and painless. If you have never joined us before, register and learn about what LeadingAge Kansas is doing on COVID, for advocacy, member benefits/services and much more.  Register with the new link here.

FEDERAL NEWS

2021-2022 Influenza (Flu) Season: CDC Key Points and Frequently Asked Questions
The burden of flu in the United States can vary widely and is determined by several factors, including the characteristics of circulating influenza viruses, the timing of the season, how many people have pre-existing immunity to circulating influenza viruses, how well the flu vaccine is protecting those who are vaccinated against illness, and how many people get vaccinated. It is not currently known how flu activity will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; however, CDC is preparing for seasonal flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread at the same time. To learn more, see 2021-2022 Influenza (Flu) Season Key Points and 2020-2021 Flu Season Summary.

What’s New for 2021-2022

A few things are different for the 2021-2022 influenza (flu) season, including:

CMS Flu Vaccine Resources  [In addition to the CDC resources, above]  
Every year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) takes action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers by helping keep you updated on the latest influenza (flu) vaccine resources from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and CMS.

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu is to get a flu vaccine every year, especially since flu viruses are constantly changing and the flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next. Flu is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death, especially for those 65 years old and older. CDC recommends everyone 6 months old and older get an annual flu vaccine.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the flu vaccination is critical this year. You can receive both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time (also called co-administration). Help encourage your patients and communities to receive both.

With information coming from many different sources, CMS has summarized resources and materials to help you communicate with the people that you serve, including:

Providers

Medicare beneficiaries

State Medicaid plans

Health equity resources

You can find these and more resources on the CMS Flu Vaccine page andFlu Vaccine and Partner Toolkit page.

LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS

New Insights and Tools From LeadingAge
LeadingAge staff experts are developing essential advocacy, guidance, and tools, and curating the most relevant resources for aging services providers, including:

RESOURCES

CDC Resources

  • COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant People to Prevent Serious Illness, Deaths, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes from COVID-19 HAN Archive – 00453 | Health Alert Network (HAN) (cdc.gov)
  • CDC/IDSA COVID-19 Clinician Call — These one-hour webinars, held Saturdays at 2 PM Central focus on timely issues of relevance to clinicians and feature case presentations by experts in the field, synthesis of new data, and an opportunity to engage with colleagues. The next call is Saturday, October 9th, 2 PM Central. Register Here
  • COCA Call: Evaluating and Supporting Patients Presenting with Fatigue Following COVID-19 — The Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) held a call on September 30, 2021 on Post-COVID conditions (PCC), an umbrella term for the wide range of health consequences present four or more weeks after infection with SARS-CoV-2, which includes Long-COVID. For the recording of this call, please visit: COCA Calls/Webinars
  • COCA Call: What Clinicians Need to Know About the Latest CDC Recommendations for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Boos Topic: Overview of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccination. For more information, please visit: COCA Calls/Webinars

The Pandemic Playbook
The Pandemic Playbook is a collection of insight, wisdom, and best practices for serving older adults during a catastrophic health crisis like the one we’re facing now. This interactive online tool is filled with a curated set of lessons, links, videos, images, podcasts, and resources from across the field. Visit now at playbook.leadingage.org. 

THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSOR

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Nicole Schings
Nicole Schings is the Director of Member Services and Business Development. Nicole joined the association in 2018, and oversees our Member Services program, our Partnership and Associate Member relationships, and our online education system. A graduate of Washburn University, Nicole uses her 22 years of experience in the association world to enhance the support of our members, problem solve their issues and bring new partners into the LeadingAge Kansas family. Outside of work, Nicole is passionate about geocaching and moments spent with her dog, Blu. You can reach Nicole directly at 785.670.8048.

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