HEALTH ADVISORY
County of Santa Clara
Public Health Department
Health Officer
976 Lenzen Avenue, 2nd Floor
San Jose, CA 95126
HEALTH ADVISORY: Important COVID-19 Vaccination Information
DATE:
April 29, 2021
TO:
All Healthcare Providers
FROM:
Sara H. Cody, MD
Health Officer
George S. Han, MD, MPH
Deputy Health Officer
As of April 15, 2021, all individuals 16 years of age and older who live, work, or attend school in Santa Clara County are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 with any of the FDA-authorized vaccines has been shown to both prevent severe COVID-19 and related mortality, as well as decrease infectiousness for those who might still become infected after vaccination. Santa Clara County now has a robust vaccine supply; vaccines and appointments are now abundant and can be found at www.sccfreevax.org. This advisory covers several important aspects of COVID-19 vaccination; more details are on the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination page and on the County of Santa Clara’s provider page.
Providers are requested to:
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Encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible individuals as soon as possible by asking about or verifying vaccination status at every patient encounter, including for those who are pregnant or trying, as well as those previously or recently infected. Previously infected individuals are likely to have partial protection from reinfection for 90 days or more, but the protection offered by vaccination is stronger and more durable; these individuals should be vaccinated as soon as possible after recovery from acute symptoms and completion of isolation (normally after 10 days). The only indication for delaying vaccination for 90 days is if the patient received intravenous monoclonal antibody treatment.
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If you do not have COVID-19 vaccines available in your practice, assist your patient in finding a vaccine appointment by going to www.sccfreevax.org.
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If your patient is hesitant about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, provide them with information and support, and encourage them to make a plan to be vaccinated in the near future.
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If desired, may resume use of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine for adults 18 years of age and older who prefer a one-dose regimen and who have reviewed additional safety messages and guidance. Please report any suspected adverse reaction to any vaccine to VAERS. In addition, report any suspected cases of thrombosis in the context of thrombocytopenia (or Thrombosis-Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, TSS) after receipt of Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Public Health by calling 408-885-4214, option 3.
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Counsel patients on activities that are considered safe for fully vaccinated individuals as issued by CDC and CDPH. An individual is considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the final shot of any FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine series. In general, fully vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine or test for COVID-19 after close contact with an individual with COVID-19 or after domestic travel. At this time, we recommend that fully vaccinated individuals who test positive still follow all isolation guidelines, even if they are asymptomatic.
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Ensure patients receive all other indicated vaccinations in accordance with CDC guidelines. In the past year, California and Santa Clara County residents have experienced a decline in routine vaccination against other diseases. In general, vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are currently recommended be administered 2 weeks prior or 2 weeks after any other vaccination, but this recommended restriction appears likely to be removed soon. It is also currently recommended to delay tuberculosis screening (TST or IGRA) until 4 weeks after COVID-19 vaccination; vaccination does not need to be delayed in the reverse scenario (after TST or IGRA).
Health ALERT: conveys the highest level of importance; warrants immediate action or attention.
Health ADVISORY: provides important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action.
Health UPDATE: provides updated information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action.