Since 1989, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has increased efforts to raise awareness, promote new evidence-based treatment and practices, and celebrate individuals during their long-term recoveries.  Promotional materials, including social media content, are available on SAMHSA’s National Recovery Month website. At HRSA, nearly every bureau and office has a program focused on the opioid crisis, including an array of ongoing projects in the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the use of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12-17 for primary series vaccination. See the CDC statement. This recommendation is in line with the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization of the vaccine for this age group. A limited supply of Novavax is available for Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program participants. Health centers can make a one-time order of one package (100 doses) per health center site. See these CDC resources for more information:

•  Novavax COVID-19 Vaccination Operational Planning Guide
•  Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the U.S. (This site was formerly called the “Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines.”)

PA Project Firstline, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH), launched a text messaging program for frontline healthcare workers to receive simple and direct messages and links to infection prevention and control information. Subscribers to the text messaging program will receive, on average, only four text messages per month, and lots of valuable infection prevention and control information. Text JOIN to IPC4U (47248) to sign up.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a final recommendation statement on statin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults. The Task Force recommends people ages 40 to 75 at high risk for CVD take a statin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. People ages 40 to 75 who are at increased risk, but not at high risk, should decide with their healthcare professional whether to take a statin. More research is needed on whether people 76 or older should start taking a statin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. To view the recommendation, the evidence on which it is based, and a summary for clinicians, please go here.

Providers should consider testing any patient who presents with a rash or lesions consistent with monkeypox. Several commercial laboratories offer monkeypox testing, and healthcare providers should primarily use these laboratories for monkeypox testing. To ensure timely access to testing, providers do not have to call the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) or their local health department prior to sending specimens to commercial labs. Testing will also continue to be available through the PA DOH Bureau of Laboratories (BOL) with approval from the PADOH or a local health department. On Aug. 9, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) that allows for an intradermal or subcutaneous vaccination with JYNNEOS for people 18 years old and older and allows for subcutaneous vaccination with JYNNEOS for patients under 18 years old. CDC has provided a video demonstrating intradermal injections. JYNNEOS is available in Pennsylvania to those who have been exposed to monkeypox and those who may be more likely to get monkeypox. CDC has issued guidance on assessing the risk of healthcare workers after they have cared for an identified monkeypox case and recommendations for post-exposure prophylaxis. If you have any questions, please call PA DOH at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) or your local health department. Click here for the full update.

The Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division recently released guidance on how various federal laws require making telehealth accessible to people with disabilities and limited English proficient persons.

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has released a report on telebehavioral health during the COVID-19 pandemic and innovations in mental and substance use treatment. Read the full report here. NACHC and National Council work jointly on the Delta Center for a Thriving Safety Net initiative to advance the integration of primary care and behavioral in states across the country.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center (MAR-PHTC) invites participation in a survey that will help them provide desired training in a preferred format. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center (MAR-PHTC) is a partnership among schools of public health, academic institutions, and public health agencies and organizations. It works to strengthen the capabilities of the public health workforce to support the delivery of high-quality public health services throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. This survey should take no more than 15 minutes and helps MAR-PHTC fulfill its funding requirements. Take the Survey no later than Sept. 8, 2022. Please email marphtc@pitt.edu with any questions.

Primary care doctors need 26.7 hours per day in order to follow national recommended guidelines for preventive care, chronic disease care, and acute care and still see an average number of patients, according to a new simulation study. Read more.