The Washington state Department of Health (DOH) has released updated immunization schedules for children and adolescents and for adults, a recent news release announced.
The recommendations are based on evidence from leading medical and public health organizations and outline who should receive vaccines, when and under what conditions, according to the news release.
The updated schedules are available online at https://tinyurl.com/4kvfup26.
“At the heart of this work are people. It’s about helping parents protect their children, supporting individuals and families in making informed choices about their health, and caring for the older adults and elders who are such an important part of our families and communities,” Dennis Worsham, Washington secretary of health, stated in the release. “As we head into another respiratory virus season, we want people to have information they can trust, grounded in the best available evidence, and access to vaccines and other tools that can help protect their health. Vaccination remains one of the best ways to protect ourselves and the people we care about from serious illness. When people have trusted information and access to the tools they need, we build healthier, more resilient communities — together.”
The updated schedules include recommendations for flu, RSV and COVID-19 immunizations for this upcoming respiratory season, as well as routine childhood immunizations and recommended catch-up immunization schedules for those who may be behind in vaccinations.
The state’s COVID-19 vaccine standing order was updated this month and allows everyone ages 6 months and older in Washington to receive the vaccination. The standing order reaffirms state guidance that people should stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccination to help protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death.
All vaccines recommended by DOH remain available at no cost for children under age 19 through Washington’s Childhood Vaccine Program at participating providers. Uninsured adults ages 19 and older can receive recommended vaccines at no cost through the Adult Vaccine Program.
Earlier this year, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 2242 into law. The bill, proposed by the governor and state insurance commissioner, helps preserve access to no-cost preventive services for Washington residents by tying insurance coverage requirements to preventive services recommendations from DOH. Those recommendations are informed by trusted medical and public health expertise, according to the release from the DOH. In response to the legislation, DOH launched a Vaccine Recommendations webpage that provides current state immunization recommendations and related guidance for health care providers and local health jurisdictions.
