COVID-19 has claimed more than 600,000 lives in the U.S., and researchers estimate in JAMA Pediatrics that translates into more than 46,000 kids who have lost a parent. What surviving parents might not know is that children can receive survivor benefits when a parent dies if that parent worked long enough in a job that required payment of Social Security taxes. Only about half of the 2 million children in the U.S. who have lost a parent as of 2014 received the Social Security benefits to which they were entitled, according to a 2019 analysis by David Weaver of the Congressional Budget Office. Counselors said they find many families have no idea that children qualify for benefits when a working parent dies or don’t know how to sign up.

Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam announced the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard is now updated to better reflect the race and ethnicity of Pennsylvanians receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in the 66 counties outside of Philadelphia. The update to the dashboard can be found on the second page of the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard showing a county-specific view of demographics for people vaccinated by race, ethnicity, gender and age; it also includes a county ranking of the percent of residents in a given county that have received their vaccine. The demographic detail page was launched in late April. Until this week, the percentages displayed factored in the population of Philadelphia County. However, because Philadelphia County is designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a separate vaccine jurisdiction, the Department of Health’s data does not include information on people vaccinated in Philadelphia. The demographic information will help identify any equity gaps in vaccine distribution so that DOH can work closely with trusted local partners and stakeholders to create and share information for those who may be hesitant about receiving the vaccine.

The Department of Health (DOH) notified providers that providers will no longer be able to request vaccines through the Weekly Vaccine Request Survey. All providers who want vaccines will be required to place orders for Pfizer (450 or 1170), Moderna, or Janssen directly into PA SIIS. The DOH team will review those orders and approve them daily for processing. Once orders are approved, providers will receive a confirmation email from PA SIIS/VTrcks. As a part of this transition, routine allocation letters will no longer be sent out from the DOH resource account. Providers will be able to check the status of shipment by logging in directly to PA SIIS. Providers may place orders more than once per week based on need. If providers run into any problems while placing the order and need support, please email the DOH resource account at ra-dhcovidvax@pa.gov or call DOH at 717-787-5681.

Vaccinating rural communities to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic is no simple task and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) understands the unique issues and viewpoints you face as a rural health stakeholder leading the way. Although many resources are currently available, we know materials focused for rural audiences will be most effective in reaching our communities. Because of this, NRHA has curated tools to assist you immediately and allow you to easily distribute and co-brand by adding your organization’s logo. Our resource library includes conversation starters and public service announcements developed in partnership with the COVID Collaborative, Health Action Alliance, and the Ad Council that can help rural employers, small business owners and public sector employers share vaccine facts and improve vaccination access for employees and families.

The Food & Drug Administration authorized an extension of the shelf life for the Janssen/J&J COVID-19 vaccine from 3 months to 4.5 months (an additional 6 weeks). The decision is based on data from ongoing stability assessment studies, which have demonstrated that the vaccine is stable at 4.5 months when refrigerated at temperatures of 36 – 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 – 8 degrees Celsius). Vaccine providers should visit https://vaxcheck.jnj/ to confirm the latest expiration dates of vaccine. This extension applies to refrigerated vials of Janssen/J&J COVID-19 vaccine that have been held in accordance with the manufacturer’s storage conditions.

On June 9, 2021, HRSA updated its guidance on American Rescue Plan Act funding for health centers under the H8F Category (funding to prevent, mitigate, and respond to COVID-19 and enhance health care services and infrastructure). Visit here to understand the latest regarding allowed and unallowed activities. Health centers also should be aware of the following provisions:

• Health centers may use non-grant funds or leverage partnerships with or donations from other community organizations or businesses to offer small rewards to individuals as an incentive for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Health centers may use H8F funds to provide incentive items; written health center policies or procedures must support the use of such funds for incentive costs.
• H8F funds may not be used for cash gift cards, food, or other costs prohibited under 45 CFR 75 (the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for HHS Awards) or other federal regulations.
• H8F funds may be used to provide childcare for parents while being vaccinated by the health center; however, note that this activity differs from daycare (which would fall outside the Health Center Program scope of project).

On June 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released additional guidance for Provider Relief Fund (PRF) recipients through its latest Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements. In the Notice, HHS indicates that:

• Providers that received funds between April 10, 2020, and June 30, 2020, were still expected to spend funds by June 30, 2021. This provision applies to almost all health centers because of when the funds were initially received. Please note that the reporting deadline for funds in this period has now been extended from July 31, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2021.
• Providers that received funding after June 30, 2020, had their deadlines to expend funds extended based on when they were received.

Please be sure to review the HHS Notice of Reporting Requirements for complete details to determine your health center’s respective spending and reporting deadlines.