Updated Special Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine and Nirsevimab
This addendum to the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Operations Guide provides supplemental information and guidance related to the COVID-19 vaccine and nirsevimab in the VFC formulary.
What You Need to Know:
Inventory
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Arizona WILL NOT require VFC providers to meet the private inventory minimum requirement for the COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab if they do not intend to vaccinate their private pay patients.
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VFC providers that plan to not maintain private stock during this season will need to:
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Explore other in-network options for their privately insured patients to access the COVID-19 vaccine and nirsevimab (i.e., from another local in-network practice or system, Federally Qualified Health Center, Rural Health Clinic, or deputized VFC provider authorized to immunize underinsured children who do have a private inventory of COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab).
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VFC providers that plan to immunize privately insured patients must meet the private inventory requirement by August 31, 2025.
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VFC providers that serve only Medicaid-eligible and no privately insured children are not required to privately purchase COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab.
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In locations where providers report that demand for COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab is low.
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Specialty providers, including pharmacies and birthing facilities (e.g., birthing hospitals or centers), may offer a limited formulary of vaccines based on the populations served in their facilities.
Eligibility Criteria
- A child’s eligibility criteria for the VFC COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab are the same as for other VFC vaccines.
Borrowing
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VFC providers who maintain private stock of COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab and vaccinate privately insured children, bidirectional borrowing of COVID-19 vaccine and nirsevimab will be allowed for the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season.
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VFC providers should ensure they have funds to procure sufficient private stock before borrowing the COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab from VFC stock for a non-VFC-eligible child.
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Borrowing is only applicable if the provider is purchasing private stock and is approved only for instances when:
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There is a lack of vaccine stock because of delayed or spoiled shipments.
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As part of the initial setup of private purchasing contracts and ordering systems, there has been a delay in the provider's ability to procure private stock of COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab.
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Vaccines will expire soon and will be lost if not used.
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Provider locations with a small privately insured patient population can use this option to administer a short-dated, privately purchased vaccine to a VFC-eligible child and replace it with a longer-dated VFC dose.
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New staff calculated ordering intervals incorrectly, leading to a lack of sufficient private or public vaccine stock.
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Borrowed COVID-19 vaccine or nirsevimab must be repaid (dose for dose) within 1 month or after five doses borrowed and administered to the appropriate population (i.e., if VFC vaccine is borrowed for a privately insured patient and then repaid to VFC inventory, the repaid dose must be administered to a VFC-eligible child).
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The BIZS will receive a borrowing report and proof of privately purchased doses that include the number of doses, lot numbers, and documentation that authenticates doses returned or doses repaid were administered to the appropriate recipients.
Resource Links:
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our team at the Bureau of Immunization Services (BIZS). For more information on inventory, borrowing, and eligibility questions, please email ArizonaVFC@azdhs.gov.
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