Throughout the pandemic, L2R has partnered with schools to support COVID-19 testing programs, navigate challenging situations, and manage outbreaks. We’ve seen many success stories in schools across the state. But we’ve also heard great ideas that can’t be implemented because of gaps in funding.

Now, we’re launching the L2R Impact Fund to address those gaps and support new ideas that can increase equitable engagement in school-based COVID-19 services.

The L2R Impact Fund is available to schools, community-based organizations, and local health jurisdictions who want to increase equitable engagement in K-12 COVID-19 services. We strongly encourage applicants to engage and foster partnerships with community-based organizations.

Interested in learning more? Let us know!

Here are the key takeaways from the event:

Schools experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks can request support from DOH investigators to conduct a CICT Program Assessment and help support contact identification and contact notifications. Schools may request any combination of options to best suit their needs.

It’s easy to submit a support request. For more information, please contact .

Meredith Clarke, Health Services Coordinator with Spokane Public Schools, discussed how she and a skeleton crew of staff have managed to implement an efficient CICT program for a large district. She highlighted the importance of a team-based approach to case investigation in each building to quickly identify contacts, and the benefit of having a centralized, “live” spreadsheet to track all data for contact tracers.

Schools feel they have very little bandwidth for integrating process improvements in their CICT programs at this point given their already overburdened staff and the efforts they’ve made over the past several months. They voiced the need for greater support for CICT from state agencies.

While the transition has been challenging for some, schools feel that Test to Stay has helped reduce lost learning days and is worth the time needed to adjust their processes. Schools reported that parents are pleased about the Test to Stay program, because it reduces the time their children would need to spend in quarantine.

There’s still time for children to get both COVID-19 shots before the holidays – and be fully vaccinated by the new year! Children who get their first dose before the end of this week (Nov. 26) will be able to get their second dose in three weeks, which means they’ll be fully vaccinated and much more protected by Jan. 1! Data from the state’s immunization information system shows that as of November 17, 10.4% of Washington children ages 5-11 have been vaccinated – and the number continues to rise.

Pediatric vaccine supply is increasing every day across our state; however, if you can’t get an appointment this week, that’s OK! Even one dose of the vaccine will provide critical protection to kids over the holidays.

Here’s what you need to know:

• • • Pediatric vaccines are now available at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, community-based vaccination events, and school-based vaccination events. You can find appointments through Vaccine Locator or Vaccines.gov.
    • The vaccine is one-third of the adult dose, but the dosing schedule is the same as it is for older kids and adults: two doses, three weeks apart, with full protection two weeks after the second dose.
    • A clinical trial found the vaccine to be nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5-11.
    • COVID-19 vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children who received the vaccine and had no serious side effects.

Recent polls have shown some reluctance among parents, including those who are vaccinated, to get their kids vaccinated. When communicating with parents and students, remember: