Covid Data Tracker (CDC). This hub of information features trends related to COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, vaccinations and other information summaries. Click here to view.

COVID-19 Infections Among Children (CDC). This guidance offers pediatric healthcare providers evidence-informed quick summaries and links related to caring for children with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic. Topics include infections among children, symptom presentation in children, testing recommendations, management of COVID-19 infections in children, immunizations and well-child care and more. Click here to visit “CDC COVID-19 Information for Pediatric Healthcare Providers” for more on the status of COVID-19 infections among children. 

COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines (NIH). “What’s New in the Guidelines” is a collection of recent revisions and updates of existing clinical guidelines for COVID-19 treatment. Meant to keep clinicians apprised of therapeutic guideline changes to offer optimal treatments to patients with COVID-19, the NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel updates the site as new information on treatment develops. Click here to visit “What’s New in the Guidelines”.

COVID-19 Real-Time Learning Network (ISDA). This resource from Infectious Diseases Society of America (ISDA) is a great website for COVID-19 clinical guidance, tools and research for all types of healthcare workers. Find the latest on vaccines, diagnostics, treatments and lots more at https://www.idsociety.org/covid-19-real-time-learning-network/ 

State-Level Reports on Children and COVID-19 (AAP). This report is continually updated by the AAP. Click here to read the summary and here for the latest full report. (Updated May 19, 2022)

Coronavirus Resource Center (Johns Hopkins University). This page provides maps and other information on both global and US COVID-19 statistics, trends, and other resources. It is updated in real time throughout each day. View the resources here.

COVID-19 Action Center (National Academy for State Health Policy). The COVID-19 Action Center webpage developed by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) offers interactive maps to help you track state policies across the U.S. that target issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to learn what your state and others are doing about mask and vaccination mandates in schools, state vaccine and masking mandate bans, public health emergency declarations and more.

COVID-19 Impacts on the Dental Care System (OHWRC). Dental providers, educators and regulators are rapidly adjusting to the COVID-19 crisis with almost no roadmap, working in their respective areas of expertise with little information on concurrent changes in interrelated systems. This site from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center is dedicated to sharing information on immediate impacts to the dental care system in the following four domains: Care Delivery, Financing, Regulation, and Education. View the website here. 

Update on Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States (April 24, 2023)

The CDC is continually monitoring the availability, safety and use of COVID-19 vaccines. Despite the vaccine safety and effectiveness, according to the agency, only 17.7% of people in the U.S. over the age of 5 have received the recommended updated booster shot, meaning they are not up to date for the best protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Health care workers continue to educate and motivate patients to recieve the primary vaccine series and the most recent booster to avoid severe illness. As of April 22, 2024, there are several updates on the COVID-19 vaccination schedule for children:

• At the time of initial vaccination, depending on vaccine product, children ages 6 months–4 years are recommended to receive 2 or 3 bivalent mRNA vaccine doses; children age 5 years are recommended to receive 1 or 2 bivalent mRNA vaccine doses
• People ages 6 years and older who are unvaccinated or previously received only monovalent vaccine doses are recommended to receive 1 bivalent mRNA vaccine dose

To view the latest COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and teens, visit Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters. Information for parents can be found in COVID-19 VACCINES FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know.

Vaccines for COVID-19 (CDC). This large repository of information on vaccinations has been updated regularly since the COVID-19 vaccine became available to the public. The site now includes communication toolkits for healthcare professionals for talking about the vaccine with patients and staff, clinical information for healthcare providers, vaccine safety information, vaccine administration resources and more. Find tips, checklists, myths and facts, social media messages and more in this go-to guide. Click here to view.

COVID-19 Vaccination for Children (CDC).  Find the newest vaccine recommendations for children on the webpage, COVID-19 Vaccination for Children. Central topics include how the vaccine protects children and families, where to find a vaccine, tips for families on preparing for the visit to get the shot and more. Click here to view.

Infographics for Patients on Vaccines and Boosters (IDSA). The Infectious Diseases Society of America has created several visually engaging infographics for your patients who have questions about COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. With information for children and pregnant people as well as the general public, these printouts highlight important statistics for those of your patients who may be cautious about signing up to get their shot.

• Get the Facts: COVID-19 in Children
• Get the Facts: COVID-19, Myocarditis, and Vaccines
• Get the Facts: Preganancy and the COVID-19 Vaccine
• Bivalent Boosters

Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Update. Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna have each released an updated COVID-19 booster shot, known as a bivalent vaccine booster, that offers protection against multiple virus variants. The bivalent vaccine booster will replace the original monovalent booster moving ahead. Children and adults, ages 12 and up, are authorized for the Pfizer bivalent booster, while children and adults, ages 18 and up, have the option to get the Moderna bivalent shot. To learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots are changing visit FDA.gov's COVID-19 Vaccines website. Visit the FDA's short Q&A on the bivalent vaccine here. (September 2, 2022)

Children Ages 6 Months and Older Get Vaccine Recommendation from CDC. The CDC has signed off on a recommendation  that children over the age of 6 months old receive a COVID-19 vaccine, stressing that children who have already had a COVID-19 infection will have added protection when also getting vaccinated. The recommendation followed the Food and Drug Administration authorization of two long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 5 years old. 

The two vaccines include the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for ages 6 months to 4 years old and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for ages 6 months to 17 years old. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is given in a three shot primary series while the Moderna vaccine has a two dose primary series and a third primary dose for children who are immunocompromised.

The new CDC recommendation for children can be found here.  More information on the newly authorized vaccines can be found in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Down to 6 Months of Age.  (Updated June 27, 2022)

Questions and Answers about COVID-19 Vaccines (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). This is a list of commom questions that have been collected from parents along with helpful answers to help them make the best decision for their kids. This also includes two animated short videos on how each type of vaccine works for the extra curious parent! Click here to visit Questions and Answers about COVID-19 Vaccines.

Health Care Providers Encouraged to Continue Promoting COVID-19 Vaccine for Pregnant People. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their webpage, COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding, recommending that pregnant people and those who may become pregnant get the COVID-19 vaccine to avoid severe illness, pre-term birth and other pregnancy-related adverse outcomes from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The official guidance is based on data on COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness for pregnant people. New statistics from the CDC show that only 31% of pregnant people were fully vaccinated as of September 18, 2021 despite the increased risk of severe illness, death and adverse pregnancy outcomes due to COVID-19 in pregnant people. The CDC suggests health care providers strongly encourage those who may become pregnant, who are pregnant, and those who were recently pregnant to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they can. To read the full details of the latest CDC announcement for vaccinating pregnant people, click here. To read the guidance, COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding, in full detail, click here. (September 29, 2021)

Dentists and COVID-19 Vaccination: COVID-19 Vaccine Resources (ADA). This comprehensive regularly updated resource from the American Dental Association (ADA) highlights key topics related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Developed to guide dentists and practice managers navigating the vaccine administration process for themselves and their team, viewers will have no problem finding helpful fact sheets, FAQs, toolkits and more. To visit the ADA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources webpage, click here.

COVID-19 Vaccines in the Dental Workplace: FAQs for Practice Owners (ADA). The ADA has developed this guide to help practice owners on the legal and practical considerations that come up when developing staff vaccination processes. Topics include how to manage religious exemptions, disability circumstances and more. Click here to read the ADA’s new COVID-19 Vaccines in the Dental Workplace: FAQs for Practice Owners.

Ethics of Vaccination. From the Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs (CEBJA) of the American Dental Association comes a whitepaper and guide on the “potential ethical challenges that may be presented by vaccination […]”. In this report, critical questions are examined to help dentists curtail potential conflict that may arise because of vaccination: Should dentists offer vaccines? What is the dentist’s ethical obligation if patients and/or staff members refuse vaccination? Do dentists have an ethical/professional obligation to be vaccinated themselves? While a number of challenging situations are covered in this paper, legal considerations are not and the authors note to check in with local council for legal advice. Click here to read Ethics of Vaccination.

Vaccine Provider Requirements and Support. Providers who have signed up to administer the COVID-19 vaccine will find key information on program requirements, reporting and documentation, and other guidance resources in this vaccine hub for providers who are enrolled in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Click here to read more.