WIC Waivers Extended with Renewed Public Health Emergency Declaration
Last week HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration tied to the COVID-19 pandemic for an additional 90 days. COVID-related WIC waviers, including physical presence flexibilities and food substitutions, are set to expire 90 days after the PHE lapses, so with the PHE extension through January 2023, WIC waivers will remain in place through at least mid-April 2023. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the public health emergency declaration would end in California on February 28th. The announcement came as new variants spur concerns that there will be another deadly winter surge across the country and as test positivity rates plateau in California following a nearly three-month decline.
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White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health |
The conference is available for streaming so if you missed something or want to review a presentation, it is all available here. Available also is an overview of the White House commitment to address hunger, nutrition, physical activity and health, and be sure to check out the National Strategy report, developed with input from organizations across the country.
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Welcome Dr. Jamila Taylor |
President and CEO of National WIC Association. Dr. Taylor brings extensive leadership for health care reform, including a focus on reproductive rights, and health outcomes that address racial, gender and economic disparities. She was most recently with The Century Foundation. Check out Dr. Taylor’s recent publications. California WIC Association looks forward to working with Dr. Taylor and the NWA team to advance the success of WIC.
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There are just a few weeks until California's November election. It's important that you vote! This is a Gubernatorial election as well as several state offices, nearly 30 state legislators, and multiple members of Congress! Make sure you are registered and get answers to your questions here!
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Webinar: Human Lactation in the LGBT Community
Join us for an upcoming two-part webinar series on Human Lactation and the LGBT Community with speakers Lauren Hanley, MD, FACOG, FABM, IBCLC & Andrea Braden, MD, FACOG, IBCLC. This is open to All WIC Agencies & All Community Partners. You can find a link to the session fliers HERE. We will offer 1.5 CEUs per session. The learning objectives are to: 1) Help attendees utilize inclusive language in the treatment of patients who identify as LGBTQIA+, 2) Provide more sensitive antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care for the LGBTQIA+ community, and 3) Use evidence-based medicine to support LGBTOIA+ patients who choose to breast/chestfeed their infants.
Wednesday, November 9, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Wednesday, December 14, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
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Call for Speakers
Interested in presenting at the 2023 023 CWA Virtual Conference & Tradeshow? Topic areas are: 1) Early Childhood Development & Nutrition; 2) Equity for All Families, 3) Breastfeeding & Human Lactation, 4) Leadership & Innovation in the Health & Human Services Sectors, and 5) Worksite Wellness. Questions? Comment below or email Jodi at jmulliganpfile@calwic.org. Please also help us by sharing this post to your networks. The deadline for submitting session proposals is Nov. 18. Read more and apply here.
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New Study Links WIC Participation to Better Pregnancy and Birth Health Outcomes |
A new study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers shows that mothers and babies who participate in WIC may experience better outcomes during and after pregnancy. Outcomes include a lower risk of preterm birth, lower risk of low birth weight and lower risk of infant mortality.
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Formula Still Hard to Find, Especially for Low-Income Families |
Many families are still struggling to find infant formula, according to a recent survey by the US Census Bureau. Adults in about a third of households with infants who use formula had trouble getting it last month. Lower income households had much more difficulty finding formula, 40% of adults with household incomes less than $75,000 reported difficulty finding formula in the previous week and that was about twice the rate of those whose household incomes were above $75,000.
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Parents Report Less Family Stress When They Eat Together |
Of the 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide surveyed in September 2022 for the American Heart Association's Healthy for GoodTM movement by Wakefield Research, the vast majority (84%) say they wish they could share a meal more often with loved ones, and 91% of parents report lower levels of stress among their family when they regularly connect over a meal.
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FDA Approves Bivalent Covid Booster for Kids |
Last week the FDA approved updated COVID-19 booster shots for kids as young as 5. The new boosters contain half the recipe that targeted the original coronavirus strain and half protection against the dominant BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions.
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Promote Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination this Season!
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Everyone 6 months of age and older needs to get immunized against flu and COVID-19. Pregnant people and their babies are particularly at risk for flu and COVID-19 complications, including premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, hospitalization, and death.
To protect them, recommend that they and their family get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 (including boosters) as soon as possible. Make sure they know that the protection they get from these vaccines passes to their baby during pregnancy, protecting their baby in early life until they are old enough to get flu and COVID-19 vaccines at 6 months of age.
Let your WIC participants know that it is safe and convenient to get the COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine in the same visit! Getting both flu and COVID-19 vaccines helps them receive the protection they need all in one visit. If your clients are hesitant, reassure them that millions of pregnant people have been safely immunized against COVID-19 and flu. Share and post the resources listed below and encourage them to ask their doctor or midwife if they have further questions.
Medi-Cal covers flu and COVID-19 vaccines for all adults given at the doctor’s office or an in-network pharmacy. If your participant is unable to get immunized at their doctor’s office, encourage them to get vaccinated at the same pharmacy where they pick up their prenatal vitamins or other prescriptions.
You can also recommend or help participants check My Turn to find a location and schedule an appointment. Family members under age 19 who meet Medi-Cal eligibility are eligible for free vaccinations through California’s Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
Resources
Thank you for helping to protect pregnant people and their babies from flu and COVID-19!
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Intimate Partner Violence
October is Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Month! Domestic/intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive problem in virtually all countries, cultures, classes and income groups. It is a complex and multifaceted problem with individual solutions that are appropriate for different women in different socio-cultural contexts. WIC Can Help end the cycle of domestic violence. Become familiar with and use the resources below to ensure families get the help they need.
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Support CWA online!
As a nonprofit membership organization, CWA relies on the contributions of many organizations and individuals to help us achieve our mission. There are many ways to give of your time, talents, or resources to help CWA promote healthy families, strong communities, and bright futures! We appreciate all forms of support and invite you to join us!
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California WIC Association www.calwic.org
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