Tag - influenza

Provider Alert!
25Jan

Provider Alert! Update to Age Restrictions for Vaccine Procedure Codes 90671 (Vaxneuvance) and 90756 (Flucelvax Quadrivalent)

Date: January 23, 2023 Attention: Providers Effective date: February 1, 2023 for dates of service on or after December 1, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: The Food and Drug Administration has expanded the age limitations for the following vaccines: Vaxneuvance™ (pneumococcal 15-valent conjugate...

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Provider Alert!
17Nov

Provider Alert! This season a flu vaccine is more important than ever.

Attention Primary Care Providers: Flu season is upon us, and while it is not possible to say what will happen this winter, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) believes we might have an early and possibly severe season due to reduced population immunity. For this reason, it’s important we vaccinate ourselves and our patients to avoid serious complications from the flu and to prevent unnecessary medical visits and hospitalizations, which further strain the healthcare system.  Every person 6 months and older should be...

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Provider Alert!
16Aug

Provider Alert! CHIP Vaccine Updates

Date: August 12, 2022 Attention: All Providers Effective date: September 1, 2022 Providers should monitor the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) Provider Portal regularly for alerts and updates associated to the COVID-19 event.  TCHP reserves the right to update and/or change this information without prior notice due to the evolving nature of the COVID-19 event. Call to action: Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) would like to inform providers that the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has completed a comprehensive review of...

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19Dec

Antivirals and the flu: know when the time is right

Antiviral medications play a role in treating influenza, but they are not a substitute for vaccination.  According to CDC recommendations, all patients at high risk for complications who appear to have influenza should be considered for early antiviral treatment, independent of laboratory confirmation or influenza vaccine status. This approach can help reduce morbidity and mortality, particularly in young children and those who have underlying co-morbidities. Clinical trials and observational data show that early antiviral treatment can shorten the duration of...

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11Sep

Flu Protection Starts Now

Flu season is on its way and vaccinating continues to be the best way to protect ourselves and our patients against serious complications from the flu.[1] Patients under the age of 18 should be offered the flu vaccine during office visits, while those over the age of 18 also have the option of receiving it at pharmacies. While the AAP and CDC each support the use of LAIV4 for the 2018-19 influenza season with the goal of accomplishing adequate vaccination coverage...

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02Oct

Antivirals and the flu: know when the time is right

Antiviral medications play a role in treating influenza, but they are not a substitute for vaccination. According to CDC recommendations, all patients at high risk for complications who appear to have influenza should be considered for early antiviral treatment, independent of laboratory confirmation or influenza vaccine status. This approach can help reduce morbidity and mortality, particularly in young children and those who have underlying co-morbidities. Clinical trials and observational data show that early antiviral treatment can shorten the duration of...

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13Feb

Know When to Prescribe an Antiviral

Vaccination Flu season is back and vaccinating continues to be the best way to protect ourselves and our patients against serious complications from the flu.[1] Patients should only receive the intramuscular vaccine; intranasal flu vaccine is not effective for the 2016-2017 flu season.1 Patients 17 and younger should be offered the flu vaccine during office visits, while those 18 years and older also have the option of receiving it at pharmacies. Treatment (Antiviral and Supportive) Patients who are high risk for complications and...

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08Mar

Video: 2015-2016 Respiratory Virus Season Update

Dr. James Dunn, Medical Director for Medical Microbiology and Virology at Texas Children's Hospital provides an update on the 2015-2016 Respiratory Virus Season in Texas. Topics include an update on the current flu and RSV conditions in Texas, Point of Care (POC) testing, and helpful resources to help you through this year's Respiratory Virus Season.

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01Mar

It’s not too late to vaccinate!

The influenza season is underway, and flu activity is increasing in the US according to the latest CDC reports. Most reports of severe illness are in unvaccinated patients, therefore vaccination continues to be critical to provide protection against infection. Laboratory data confirms that the influenza viruses circulating in our communities match the strains in the 2015-2016 influenza vaccines. It is NOT too late to vaccinate our patients as antibodies only take about 2 weeks to develop for protection against the...

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23Dec

Vaccines and Pregnancy

By Dr. Lisa Hollier, MD MPH Chief Medical Officer Texas Children’s Health Plan Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Director, Health Policy Division, Baylor College of Medicine Pregnant women, along with their fetuses, are particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable disease-related complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made recommendations for adult vaccines and there are two that are directly recommended for administration during pregnancy, four are recommended in pregnancy based on additional risk factors, and two are specifically recommended during the postpartum period (see table)....

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