05/16/2022: Lab Advisory: HHS to Discontinue Providing Viral Transport Media to States and Jurisdictions
Audience: Laboratories and Facilities that Perform COVID-19 Testing
Level: Laboratory Advisory
Effective May 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will no longer distribute viral transport media (VTM) to states and jurisdictions. Laboratories and testing facilities that receive supplies from their state health departments should note these changes and plan accordingly.
States and jurisdictions that currently receive weekly allotments will continue to receive VTM shipments until May 23, 2022. The final, complete Office of Global Affairs (OGA) VTM order is scheduled for the week of June 6, 2022. Distribution of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs will continue uninterrupted.
The federal government continues to work closely with manufacturers to ensure that the nation’s supply of COVID-19 related supplies is not disrupted.
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Online resources:
- Information for Laboratories about Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Coronavirus (COVID-19) for Laboratories
- CDC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Website
- CDC Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS)
- Clinical Laboratory COVID-19 Response Calls
Questions?
- If you are a clinical or public health laboratory professional, contact LOCS.
- For media inquiries, contact the CDC Newsroom.
- For all other questions, contact CDC-INFO.
Thank you,
The Laboratory Outreach Communication System
Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS) | Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS)
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)