• Georgia: Last week, CDC updated its COVID-19 vaccine recommendation, adding new guidance for older adults. In the recommendation, CDC said that adults ages 65 and older, as well as people with weakened immune systems, should receive a second dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine after their last shot. Depending on their personal health and physician's advice, immunocompromised individuals may require additional doses to ensure they are protected against the virus. According to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, the updated guidance "allows people to make the best decisions possible to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from COVID-19." Although COVID-19 activity is currently low, the virus could spread more during the winter months, and CDC says that vaccinations will help keep the number of hospitalizations and severe cases manageable. The agency also noted that the updated vaccine can help protect against newer variants and reduce the risk of long COVID. (Jackson, The Hill, 10/24)
• Georgia: CDC data shows that whooping cough has reached its highest levels in the United States since 2014. As of the week ending Oct. 12, there were 18,506 reported cases of whooping cough nationwide. In comparison, there were only 3,382 cases of whooping cough reported at the same time last year. There have also been two confirmed deaths. The infection is most dangerous to babies, with one in three requiring hospitalization after being infected. According to health experts, they are concerned the outbreak will worsen throughout the fall and winter months. "More children are going back to school now, [which leads to] greater exposure," said Eric Chow, the chief of epidemiology and immunization at the Seattle and King County public health agency. "We're coming up on the kind of winter season when people are spending more time indoors with other people." To prevent whooping cough, health experts recommend people get themselves and their children vaccinated. CDC recommends adults get the TDaP vaccine and children get the DTaP vaccine. (O'Neill, NPR, 10/11; Tupper, CNN, 10/18)
• Tennessee: Earlier this month, a three-judge panel ruled that Tennessee doctors cannot be disciplined for providing an emergency abortion to protect a patient's life. The ruling also outlined specific pregnancy-related conditions that would qualify as "medical necessity exceptions" to the state's strict abortion ban, which does not include exceptions for fetal anomalies or victims of rape or incest. Medical conditions that now fall under the state's abortion exemptions include premature rupture of the amniotic sac, inevitable abortions, fatal fetal diagnoses that lead to severe preeclampsia or mirror syndrome associated with fetal hydrops, and fatal fetal diagnoses that result in uterine rupture or potential loss of fertility. "This lack of clarity is evidenced by the confusion and lack of consensus within the Tennessee medical community on the circumstances requiring necessary health- and life-saving abortion care," the ruling said. "The evidence presented underscores how serious, difficult, and complex these issues are and raises significant questions as to whether the medical necessity exception is sufficiently narrow to serve a compelling state interest." (Kruesi, Associated Press, 10/17)

Develop a strong COVID-19 vaccine communication strategy that shares information, addresses patient concerns, and encourages uptake.