Resources to help partners get ready for 2023-2024 flu season

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DOH’s Regional Health Office team can help connect you with DOH subject matter experts, resources, meetings, and more. Reach us at dohdigest@doh.wa.gov.

September 28, 2023

DOH’s Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology has updated and collected resources to help local and tribal health partners prepare for the upcoming flu season. These include reporting links and guidance, updated and translated recommendations for settings, the influenza reports and dashboard, health promotion and outreach links, upcoming training opportunities, and more.

Resources for the 2023-2024 influenza season include:

Reporting to DOH

Influenza-like illness (ILI) outbreaks in long-term care settings, lab-confirmed influenza-associated deaths, and suspect novel influenza in all settings remain reportable to DOH.

Options for reporting ILI outbreaks to DOH:

Report the outbreak through WDRS. This option is available this year and similar to the outbreak function used to report COVID-19 outbreaks. To use this, simply select “Influenza, seasonal” as the condition and use the same naming convention “2023 LHJ Influenza Facility Name.”

Outbreak permissions will need to be granted by the WDRS team. If you do not already have permissions to create outbreak events, contact your LHJ’s data steward for permissions to report ILI outbreaks in WDRS.

Weekly linelist transmission to DOH. Email Anna Unutzer for a linelist template.
Fax the ILI Outbreak Reporting Form (PDF) to DOH.

Guidance

DOH guidance for public health (see Testing, Treatment and Infection Control Recommendations section) including the following updates for this season:

Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Long-term Care Settings includes updated formatting. It is translated into six languages and divided into Adult Family Home (PDF) and Skilled Nursing/Assisted Living (PDF) setting types.
Updated “Flu Stops Here” posters for staff (DOCX) and visitors (DOCX) have been translated into six languages.
DOH Knock Out Flu Partner Toolkit for Immunization Promotion.

DOH Weekly Influenza Report

The DOH Weekly Influenza Report (PDF) is published on Mondays beginning October 16, 2023.
For national flu surveillance data, see the CDC Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report published on Fridays.
The DOH Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard is published every Wednesday.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Register for one or more of the following training opportunities to learn more about influenza surveillance and outbreak response:

DOH 2023-2024 Flu Updates Webinar offered from noon to 1 p.m. October 5. Intended for healthcare providers, pharmacists and pharmacy techs, local public health, and anyone interested in learning more about this topic.
Protecting Residents from Influenza and RSV in Your Adult Family Home offered from 1:30 - 3 p.m. October 5. Intended for those working in adult family homes.
Safeguarding Long-term Care Residents from COVID, Flu, and RSV offered at 9 a.m. October 17. Intended for long-term care employees.
Preparation for 2023-2024 Flu Season, CDEpi Monthly LHJ call from 1:30-2:30 p.m. October 19. Intended for local health jurisdictions. For a meeting invite, email OCDEpi-TOPPS@doh.wa.gov

For questions on management of influenza-like illness outbreaks or questions on influenza reporting and epidemiology, call the Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology at 206-418-5500.