Weekly Vaccine Digest 10/20

County of Los Angeles, California sent this bulletin at 10/20/2023 03:02 PM PDT

Weekly Vaccine Digest 10/20

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 and the links shared during the CDPH Office Hours. To view the CDPH recording and slides please visit https://eziz.org/.  We have received additional doses for the Bridge Access Program (BAP). Please submit your vaccine order by Monday at 5:00 pm to receive your vaccine order the following week. Orders submitted after Monday at 5:00 pm may take an additional week to deliver. Please order a 1–2 week supply of COVID-19 vaccine through myCAvax and re-order as necessary as you assess patient demand.

 

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: Order and Administration Reminders

·Page 2-3: CDC Storage and BUD, VFA Ordering, Pediatric RSV in VFC

·Page 3-5: Nirsevimab, CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)

·Page 5-6: Pharmacy, COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test kits, Novavax Resource Update

·Page 7-8: Upcoming Webinars, myCAvax Release 44, LACDPH & CDPH Provider Office Hours Link

 

Order and Administration Reminders

  • REMINDER: Please place all State General Flu (SGF) orders in myCAvax by 5pm on Monday, 10/23. See Ordering and Distribution Cadence Calendar for more information. Please note that DPH is also filling SGF orders through local fulfillment.
    • LACDPH has depleted our Fluzone inventory and this product is no longer available
  • Vaccine delivered from the DPH warehouse will be delivered 3-7 business days after the order is place in myCAvax. Please present a photo ID (work badge, school ID, driver’s license, etc.) and sign for the delivery when received.
  • REMINDER: If a Shipment Incident results in a Temperature Excursion, providers should always report the Shipment Incident first. CDPH will determine if the vaccine should be reported as waste and then they will inform the provider
  • REMINDER: Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are all available for ordering through myCAvax for Bridge Access Program (BAP) providers and through myVFCvaccines for Vaccines for Children (VFC) providers VFC providers may only report through myVFCvaccines.
    • VFC providers that report in the wrong system (myCAvax) should contact the Provider Call Center at ProviderCallCenter@cdph.ca.gov or call (833) 502-1245 for guidance on removing or updating the incorrect report BAP providers may only report through myCAvax.
    • BAP providers that report in the wrong system (myVFCvaccines) should contact the VFC Call Center at myVFCvaccines@cdph.ca.gov or call (877) 243-8832 for guidance on removing or updating the incorrect report
  • REMINDER: Job aid for Vaccine and Clinic Eligibility by Funding Source can be found here.
  • UPDATED: Bap Eligibility Resource can be found here.

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CDC Storage and Beyond-Use Date Tracking Labels

Apply storage and beyond-use-date tracking labels to reduce administration errors!

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Vaccines for Adults (VFA) Ordering is Open

  • October 16 – 27: VFA Providers can now place quarterly vaccine orders!
  • Due to our limited 317 budget, vaccine dose requests for the HPV, PCV, and Zoster vaccines will be reduced to 40% of your April 2022 (pre-cap) quarterly order. Order caps for all other vaccines have increased.
  • If you would like to request doses beyond the caps, please include on the order form comment section the vaccine(s), amount and reason. These special requests will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.
  • Vaccine requests should be based on the needs of your eligible uninsured/underinsured adult patient population.

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Pediatric RSV in VFC

  • BeyfortusTM became available for ordering through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program on October 11, 2023.
  • On Friday October 13, 2023, CDC announced a temporary stop in Nirsevimab ordering for ALL states in light of high demand and limited supply.
  • Limited VFC ordering is expected to resume by the end of this week, with vaccine allocations in place for each state to ensure equitable availability across the US for VFC supply.
  • The % of doses allocated to each state will be in accordance with VFC vaccine ordering history for vaccines used in a comparable cohort and available vaccine supply.

Impact on CA VFC Nirsevimab ordering as a result of the pause in ordering, limited vaccine supply and expected allocations:

  • Ordering for Nirsevimab is currently unavailable in myVFCVaccines. Providers were notified on 10/16/2023.
  • Ordering will resume as soon as CDC allows ordering, allocations are in place, and supply can support ordering.
  • Vaccine requests will be reviewed and approved based on the state's allocated supply, and the provider’s reported VFC patient population; orders may be reduced based on available allocated supply.
  • Given that VFC vaccine supply will be allocated, doses of Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) must be administered to VFC eligible patients only. Borrowing is not allowed.

Already approved orders:

  • Most VFC approved orders placed from October 11 to October 12, 2023, and sent to McKesson for fulfillment were placed in a backorder. Orders with be partially filled as supply becomes available.
  • Requests for the 50mg (0.5 ml) formulation have begun to ship this week
  • Request for the 100mg (1.0 mL) formulation will be fulfilled upon supply availability
  • Orders placed Friday October 13 through Monday October 16, 2023, after CDC's pause on Nirsevimab ordering, will be partially filled only for the 50mg (0.5 ml) formulation. If the order included requests for the 100mg (1.0 mL) formulation, these will be cancelled.

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Nirsevimab, Hospitals, and Vaccines for Children

  • This fall, birthing institutions can play a critical role in increasing equitable access to birth dose immunizations, including RSV protection prior to discharge
    • Number of births January- August 2023: 263,908 births
    • ~45% of CA infants 0-1 year of age are eligible to receive VFC supplied vaccines
    • Approximately 10% of all U.S. VFC provider enrollments are “birthing hospitals”.
    • For California, only 4% of provider enrollments are identified as birthing hospitals.
  • Implementation of birth dose pediatric RSV could help with vaccine supply limitations during the initial rollout of nirsevimab. BeyfortusTM supply for the 50 mL formulation for babies under 5kg may not be as limited as that for babies over 5 kg.
  • Participation in VFC will significantly reduce supply up-front costs- VFC provides vaccines at no cost to enrolled providers for VFC-eligible children:
  • Number of Medi-Cal births in 2020: ~173K o Private sector Hepatitis B Vaccine cost: $4.7M
  • Private sector Nirsevimab vaccine cost: $85.5M

Enrollment Checklist for Birthing and Pediatric Hospitals

  • CDPH has developed a check list to assist providers in meeting VFC enrollment requirements and preparing them to receive nirsevimab.
  • Contains useful links to CDPH, VFC, CDC, and CAIR resources as well as a brief summary of nirsevimab clinical guidance.
  • This document will be available through RSV – California Vaccines for Children (VFC) (eziz.org)

 

2023-2024 Additional VFC Flu Ordering Is now Open!

  • VFC has completed shipments of initial orders of 2023-2024 flu vaccine, which comprises 50% of what VFC providers pre-booked earlier this year.
  • Theremaining50%ofdosespre-bookedcanbeorderedasneededthroughtheremainder of the season via the Additional Flu Vaccine Order System.
  • NOTE: Your VFC October Flu Progress Report Will Arrive Soon! In the coming days, we will be emailing each VFC practice their October VFC Flu Vaccine Progress Report.

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CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Protection Infants from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

 

PLEASE ATTEND: CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Protection Infants from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023 Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT Overview Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can also affect the lungs. While most children recover from an RSV infection in a week or two, RSV infection can be dangerous for infants and some young children, causing difficulty breathing, low oxygen levels, and dehydration. RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two new immunizations to prevent severe RSV disease in infants and older babies. During this COCA Call, presenters will give a comprehensive overview of CDC’s new recommendations to prevent severe RSV disease in infants, including clinical guidance and considerations for administering RSV immunizations to infants and pregnant people during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy. If you are unable to attend the live COCA Call, the recording will be available for viewing on the COCA Call webpage a few hours after the live event ends. The slide set will be available on the day of the call on the COCA Call webpage under Call Materials. Free Continuing Education (CE) will be offered for this COCA Call. Registration is not required.

Webinar Link: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1600578610__;!!AvL6XA!3qigRRENKv9UfawESJwiSXXW3j5XRgLkm8zjA9zlLMC8RAe3BEAOlG7Vnqi5rchu8m04a0ZM5KJj8oJnl3jjSdyRLVYSOAVdxAYlkB9sGHiQ$

Webinar ID: 161 057 8610

Passcode: 189293

Telephone:

US: +1 669 254 5252 or 1 646 828 7666

One-tap Mobile: +16692545252,,1600578610#,,,,*189293# or +16468287666,,1600578610#,,,,*189293#

 

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Pharmacy

  • Work directly with eTrueNorth to enroll your pharmacy location in the Bridge Access Program.
  • eTrueNorth makes participation easy by providing a secure online platform for convenient patient sign-up and participating pharmacy reimbursement.
  • Interested pharmacies can visit www.joinetruenorth.com to enroll.
  • Find BAP Pharmacies near you here.

 

Pharmacy COVID-19 Legislation

  • Bill Status - AB-1286 Pharmacy. (ca.gov)
    • This bill would additionally authorize a pharmacy technician under the direct supervision and control of a pharmacist to administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Bill Status - AB-1341 Public health: oral therapeutics. (ca.gov)
    • This bill, until January 1, 2025, would authorize a pharmacist to furnish COVID-19 oral therapeutics, as defined, following a positive test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID- 19, as specified.
    • This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety and shall go into immediate effect when signed by the governor.

Patient Access to Paxlovid: HHS and Pfizer Agreement

  • Protecting individuals in public programs, particularly Medicare
    • Individuals on Medicare, Medicaid, and those who are uninsured will continue to be able to access Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)-procured Paxlovid for free through the end of 2024 via a patient assistance program.
    • From 2025-2028, Pfizer will continue to run a patient assistance program for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured with HHS- procured Paxlovid.
    • In parallel, Pfizer will operate a copay assistance program for individuals with commercial insurance through 2028.
  • Ensuring no HHS-procured product is lost to expiry
    • Up-to-date product will be refreshed from Pfizer through 2028, ensuring that the HHS inventory of Paxlovid will not expire and will include all new formulations of Paxlovid authorized or approved for use in the U.S.
  • Creating a stockpile for future emergencies
    • In addition to ensuring that HHS maintains every course of Paxlovid that it has purchased, Pfizer will provide HHS with a stockpile of an additional one million treatment courses to ensure preparedness for future COVID-19 surges.
  • Providing a smooth transition to the commercial market
    • HHS will ensure a smooth and predictable transition to the commercial market over the next few months while prioritizing and reserving our HHS-procured treatment courses for people with Medicare and Medicaid, and for those who are uninsured. During this transition to commercial distribution, Paxlovid will remain available for ordering from HHS through Friday, December 15, 2023.
  • HHS and Pfizer agreement on Paxlovid can be found here.

 

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COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Kits

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests Available - Please Order Before Wednesday, November 1st

Department Leadership is encouraging you to request COVID-19 antigen tests ahead of Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.  In order to ensure delivery ahead of Thanksgiving holiday and to allow time for distribution to the community, we recommend you request tests as soon as possible, and no later than Wednesday, November 1st. Please see the FAQ for answers to question and use our online form to request COVID-19 rapid antigen tests: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YJTH9S9

 

As we enter the fall and winter months when activities start moving indoors and there is increased travel and gatherings for the holidays, it is important to address the increased risk of COVID-19 exposure. Surveillance data continues to show that COVID-19 is circulating in Los Angeles County at higher levels than seen during the summer and we expect COVID-19 rates to rise this winter. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health continues to promote access to testing when someone is exposed, and before and after participating in indoor gatherings to support the health and well-being of residents.

Novavax Resources Update

In line with last the Novavax 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization, the following printable local resources are available on our website:

  • Updated COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccine Schedules page, including the Spanish translation.
  • Redesigned Vaccines page, that includes resources for all vaccines, which we encourage you to visit helpful for your fall health planning.
    • My Turn has added the recently authorized Novavax product and is mapping the current vaccine supply to this product as of Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Please update your clinic vaccine inventory and deactivate the deauthorized Novavax inventory.
    • Note: If you remove the deauthorized inventory, historical bulk upload will not be available for that clinic

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Upcoming Webinars

  • SGF Flu Vaccine Management 102 for Providers
    • When: Monday October 23, 2023 12pm-1pm. Registration link can be found here.
  • Bridge Access Program myCAvax Office Hours
    • When: Thursday October 26, 2023 11am-11:30am. Registration link can be found here.
  • STI Clinical Update Webinar: California Mpox Update for Healthcare Providers
    • When: Thursday, October 26, 2023 Time: 12PM – 1PM, PDT Register here.

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 myCAvax Release 44 (October 20, 2023)

  • myCAvax R44 is the last scheduled production release until February 2024. There may be ad-hoc releases for key system updates as needed.
  • My Turn production releases will continue their usual monthly cadence. Updates will be shared at our weekly webinars for both platforms as usual.
  • Expanded SGF Capabilities
    • Be able to record temperature excursions for SGF vaccines and select products on ‘Excursion’ pop-up window based on the program selected
    • Be able to record waste events for SGF vaccines and select products on the ‘New Waste Report’ pop-up window based on the program selected
    • Receive LHD initiated SGF transfers
  • Provider Community Site
    • See the new BAP logo on the program tile on the landing page
    • See a dropdown on the SGF program tile with new site functionalities for the SGF program
    • See an updated ‘State General Fund - Home’ page with new site functionalities
    • See Program Locations on the ‘Locations’ page based on the program selected
    • See the new ‘Program Type’ picklist on the COVID-19 ‘Shipment Incidents’ and ‘Orders’ pages
    • See the new ‘USG COVID-19 Program’ checkbox on the COVID-19 Program Location applications and related lists of COVID-19 Program Locations
    • See relabeled shipping address fields on the Location Account form
  • NOTE: On Friday, October 20, 2023, the ‘Vaccine Administration Address’ field will be removed from myCAvax. To comply with CDC policy, providers must be prepared to receive vaccine shipments at the same address in which they are administering vaccine, and the shipping address listed on their Location Accounts must be used for all Program Locations.
    • PROVIDERS MUST: Providers, if you need to update your shipping address to comply with the single shipping address requirement, contact the Provider Call Center at providercallcenter@cdph.ca.gov or (833) 502 - 1245. Note that the secondary address line may be customized at each Program Location to specify a specific suite, building, etc. Be sure to confirm your shipping hours

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LACDPH & CDPH Provider Office Hours Link

LA County Department of Public Health Provider Immunization Office Hours Information

  • Every other Wednesday from 9am-10am - Next meeting: 10/25/23
    • NOTE: Effective 2/01/23 the Office Hours will be held on a biweekly basis
  • This has been meeting amended to discuss COVID, Mpox, Flu and RSV vaccines. The meeting link will remain the same.
  • 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