Weekly Vaccine Digest 7/21

Weekly Vaccine Digest 7/21 Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Dear Colleagues and Partners,  

Below are the LACDPH weekly vaccine administration and order updates, upcoming webinars, and newsworthy events. Attached to this email you will find a pdf version of this digest, the links and slides from the LA County DPH Office hours slides and the links shared during today’s CDPH Office Hours. To view the CDPH recording please visit eziz.org/covid/education. 

If you received this email and would like to be added to our listserv, please contact our COVID-19 Provider Vaccine Call Center at covidvaccinereq@ph.lacounty.gov

Table of Contents ·   Page 1-2: Welcome, Order and Administration Reminders, CDC COVID-19 Vaccine State Health Officer Letter ·   Page 2-3: Fall 2023 COVID-19 Vaccine Transition Timeline, COVID-19 Vaccine Access & Eligibility ·   Page 3: COVID-19 Vaccine Ordering & Distribution-Post Sunset of the Federal COVID-19 Vaccination Program, COVID-19 Vaccines through the CA Bridge Access Program (BAP), Ancillary Kits ·   Page 4: LACDPH & CDPH Provider Office Hours Link, RSV Updates ·   Page 5: RSV Updates cont.

Order and Administration Reminders

• REMINDER: Please place all orders in myCAvax by the Monday 7/24/23 5pm deadline.
  • IMPORTANT: The last standard ordering review, approval, and order transmission cycle for current COVID-19 vaccine is approaching on Monday July 31, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Providers should order a 2-month supply to last until the new formulation is available this fall.
    • Small orders will continue to be processed by LHDs and the TPR for providers needing additional doses, until the new COVID-19 vaccine is authorized by FDA.
  • Commercialization Recourses can be found below:
    • Commercialization at a glance provider transition guide can be found here.
    • EZIZ Commercialization FAQs can be found here.
    • HHS guide on commercialization can be found here.
• REMINDER: Please report all COVID-19 doses administered within 24 hours to your medical record system and to CAIR as soon as practicable and no later than 72 hours.
• NOTE: CDPH is sending out a survey to VFC providers on their brand preference of COVID vaccines for the Fall.
• NOTE: CA COVID-19 Public Call Center operating hours as of 7/22/23 Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, no longer operating on weekends and holidays.
• REMINDER: Record Vaccine Waste in myCAvax. Job aid can be found here.

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CDC COVID-19 Vaccine State Health Officer Letter

CDC released a State Health Officer letter on Monday, July 17, 2023, which emphasized the importance of maintaining access to vaccine during the transition to commercialization.

What does this mean for Providers?

• Providers should adhere to the COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Agreement, particularly as it pertains to patient access.
• Providers should continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines during this transitional time.
• Providers maintain a COVID-19 vaccine supply.
• Patients should NOT be denied based on insurance coverage status or provider network status.
• Patients should NOT be charged for an office visit or any other fee if the only service provided is COVID-19 vaccination.).

_Fall 2023 COVID-19 Vaccine Transition Timeline

Week of July 31, 2023	CDC will set vaccine thresholds to -0- in anticipation of decreased vaccine demand. Providers to order a 2-month vaccine supply. Last standard and routine vaccine order review & processing cycle.
August 3-Early September	There will opportunities to submit additional Small Orders (fulfilled locally/TPR) if needed. Process, including frequency of order submission, is yet to be determined). Ancillary supplies for these small vaccine orders will continue to be provided.
TBD (expected early to mid-September)	FDA decisions and amendments to Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) / Biologics License Applications (BLAs). Concurrently, USG discontinues distribution of current COVID-19 vaccine composition. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) discussion on COVID-19 epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness and CDC recommendation.
TBD (ACIP Recommendation + 2 weeks)	Fall vaccine availability for administration begins across all age groups with traditional pathways for procurement, distribution, and payment.

_COVID-19 Vaccine Access And Eligibility 

 

Continued COVID-19 vaccine access:

• It is important that clinics assess patient populations to ensure adequate vaccine supply for patients served (by age and coverage types)
• CDC will provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for individuals without insurance coverage (uninsured individuals), or whose insurance does NOT cover vaccines (under-insured), once COVID-19 vaccines are authorized and become available this fall.
  • Eligibility screening and documentation must occur with each vaccine administration.
• Pediatric and adult populations with insurance coverage will no longer be eligible to receive doses distributed by the state.

_____________________________________________________________________COVID-19 Vaccine Ordering & Distribution-Post Sunset of the Federal COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Vaccine:

• Providers should begin planning to incorporate COVID-19 vaccine ordering with standard vaccine supply procurement processes for the practice or organization.
• Planning includes assessing patient population by insurance coverage type, age, and COVID19 vaccination status to determine initial vaccine supply need.

Ancillary Kits:

• Kits are not provided as part of routine vaccine ordering. Therefore, any COVID-19 vaccine ordered privately or through publicly funded COVID-19 vaccine programs (Vaccines for Children Program and Bridge Access Program) will NOT ship with vaccine. However, Pfizer will continue to supply diluent with corresponding vaccine product.
• Providers should look at ancillary supplies and consider needs post-commercialization to ensure they have adequate supply of ancillary supplies budgeted and planned to purchase.

_____________________________________________________________________COVID-19 Vaccines through the CA Bridge Access Program (BAP)

• myCAvax will be the system used to support continued vaccine ordering and distribution through the California (CA) BAP
• Preparations include:
  • System assessment of changes needed to modify the COVID-19 Program and adapt it for the California BAP
  • Looking at enrolled provider types and share with LHDs in order to determine provider participation in California’s BAP
  • Determining closeout steps for all other providers
  • Discuss enrollment flows and approvals
  • Develop program participation guidelines, resources, and job aids
• CDC Bridge Access Program information can be found here.

_____________________________________________________________________Ancillary Kits

• Are expired surgical masks okay to use?
  • If your clinic's policies allow you to, and you see no deterioration of the masks, then yes.
  • Note: Expiration for these items mostly has to do with the deterioration of the straps.
  • Expiration date for surgical masks can be found printed on outside of kit or on boxes within.
• Do NOT use needles/syringes/diluent, etc. if expired!
  • Check the expiration date of individual items
  • Expiration date should be printed on the individual items

_____________________________________________________________________LACDPH & CDPH Provider Office Hours Link

LA County Department of Public Health Provider Office Hours Information

• Every other Wednesday from 9am-10am - Next meeting: 08/02/23
  • NOTE: Effective 2/01/23 the Office Hours will be held on a biweekly basis
• This meeting has been combined with the Mpox Office Hours call. Part one of the meeting will focus on COVID-19 issues while the second part will address Mpox vaccine issues.
• MS Teams meeting link below; please create a recurring calendar invite with this link.
• To request meeting slides, please email covidvaccinereq@ph.lacounty.gov

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 323-776-6996,,350547595#   United States, Los Angeles

Phone Conference ID: 350 547 595#

California Department of Public Health Provider Office Hours Registration Link

• Every Friday from 9am-10:30am.
• Complete one-time registration here.
• Meeting recordings and slides can be found here.

Providers should add staff names to the Provider Listserv to receive weekly emails and updates. To be added, please email blanca.corona@cdph.ca.gov

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RSV Updates

• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Talking Points
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection is one of the most common respiratory illnesses, and usually occurs in late fall and peaks in the winter.
• In otherwise healthy young adults, RSV can cause an upper respiratory infection, including runny nose, sore throat, headache, and fever. However, older adults may experience more severe symptoms, especially those with underlying conditions. They may have pneumonia requiring treatment in a hospital. Tragically, 6,000-10,000 adults over the age 65 die from RSV annually.
• Older adults with certain medical conditions such as immunosuppression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease, are at highest risk for severe RSV disease.
• On June 21, 2023, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to approve the use of RSV vaccine for persons aged 60 years and older to prevent RSV–associated lower respiratory tract disease.
• A single dose of RSV vaccine is recommended prior to the start of RSV season and should be offered to eligible patients.
• Two vaccines Arexvy (GSK, 0.5 mL) and Abrysvo (Pfizer, 0.5mL) have been FDA approved, and CDC recommended, for use in older adults ≥60 years.
• Recommendations for RSV vaccine are based on shared clinical decision-making. The decision to vaccinate a patient should be based on a discussion between the health care provider and the patient, which might be guided by the patient’s risk for disease and their characteristics, values, and preferences; the provider’s clinical discretion; and the characteristics of the vaccine.
• Coadministration of RSV vaccines with other adult vaccines is acceptable (i.e., influenza).

RSV Resources:

• CDC ACIP RSV Vaccine Recommendations
• RSV in Older Adults and Adult with Chronic Medical Conditions
• Fact Sheet for Older Adult

• DPH Provider OH 7_19_23 Links (2).pdf
• Monkeypox and RSV vaccine slides for 7.19.2023 (1).pdf
• DPH Provider Vaccine Office Hours_Updates_07.19.23 (1) (3).pptx
• Weekly Vaccine Digest 07.21.23_v2 (1).pdf
• CDPH PROVIDER OH 7_21_23 LINKS.pdf