Maine Adopts Age-Based Approach to COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility
The State of Maine has updated its vaccination plan to reflect emerging science, progress in vaccinating its oldest residents, and increasing vaccine supply. The planned schedule, which is subject to change depending on fluctuations in vaccine supply including an acceleration if supply increases, is as follows:
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March 3: Eligibility expands to residents age 60 and older
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April: Eligibility expands to age 50 and older
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May: Eligibility expands to age 40 and older
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June: Eligibility expands to age 30 and older
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July and beyond: Eligibility expands to ages 29 and under, including youth and children pending authorization of age appropriate vaccines
This update to Maine's vaccination strategy reflects recent scientific data indicating that age is among the strongest predictors of whether an individual is likely to get seriously ill and die from COVID-19.
Indicators of Severe COVID-19 Illness
While vaccine providers may start vaccinating people ages 60 to 69 on Wednesday, March 3, some providers may not have the scheduling systems or capacity to begin vaccinating individuals in this age group at that time. Providers can also determine when they open existing pre-registration systems to this new age group. Please let Sally Weiss (Sally.Weiss@maine.gov) know if you would like to modify the information on the State’s website about when and how this new eligibility group can sign up for an appointment.
NEW Moderna COVID-19 Transportation Guidance
The U.S. CDC has updated guidance for the transport of unpunctured vials of refrigerated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may be transported for 12 cumulative hours (e.g., vaccine transported for 2 hours today has 10 hours of transport time remaining). Follow transportation guidance for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in CDC's Storage and Handling Toolkit, COVID-19 Addendum.
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine should be transported between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F) for up to 12 hours (cumulative). This 12-hour Beyond Use Date (BUD) includes any time vaccine is stored in cool cubes, coolers, or pack-outs for a clinic. Take care to ensure vaccine does not refreeze.
The Beyond-Use Date labels have also been updated to include transport time.
COVID-19 Vaccine Hourly Clinic Temperature Log
NEW Pfizer COVID-19 Guidance
New Transportation Guidance:
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine: Once thawed, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has a 120-hour (5-day) beyond-use date (BUD) for both refrigerated storage and transport at 2°C-8°C (36°F-46°F).
Only FULL trays of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can be transported in ultra-cold temperatures - partial trays begin the 120-hour BUD.
CDC strongly recommends that total time for transport/clinic should be a maximum
of 8 hours (2 hours driving time + 6 hours of clinic time).
Partially used vials can be transferred for clinic purposes, but NEVER transferred
from one provider to another or across state lines.
New Storage & Handling Guidance:
On February 25, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is allowing undiluted frozen vials of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be transported and stored at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers
(-25°C to -15°C; -13°F to 5°F) for a period of two weeks. This reflects an alternative to the recommended storage of undiluted vials in an ultra-low temperature freezer between -80°C to -60°C (-112°F to -76°F).
In brief, undiluted vials maybe stored at the following temperature ranges:
- Between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F to -76°
F) until the expiration date
- Between -25°C and -15°C (-13°
F to 5°F) for up to two weeks
- Note: These temperatures are within the appropriate range for routinely recommended vaccines, BUT the temperature range for this vaccine is tighter. If storing the vaccine in a freezer with routinely recommended vaccines, carefully adjust the freezer temperature to the correct temperature range for this vaccine.
- Between 2°C and 8°C (35°F to 46°F) for up to 120 hours (5 days).
Staffing and Resource Guidance
In an effort to support vaccination sites, guidance was sent out to Providers outlining the available resources and the steps needed to access each resource in obtaining additional staffing beyond what is currently available within an organization or geographic region.
This guidance is located here. |
NEW Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine materials are live!
Clinical resources now available to support the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine include:
Resources can also be found on the Maine Immunization Program's COVID-19 Provider's Portal .
Training and Education
Importance of trained healthcare professionals
The U.S. CDC has developed new trainings for healthcare professionals that are needed to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts nationwide. Training is important not only for those who will prepare and administer vaccine, but also for those responsible for other critical, mandatory functions, including protecting the vaccine cold chain, inputting required data, and ensuring vaccine recipients receive documentation of vaccination. A variety of healthcare professionals and personnel will be needed to implement COVID-19 vaccination efforts. These include:
- Experienced vaccinators
- Vaccinators who have not administered vaccines in the past 12 months or longer
- Medical support staff (not licensed to administer vaccines but can assist with vaccine preparation and cold chain management)
- Administrative support staff (can assist with cold chain management, data reporting, and distribution of required materials to vaccine recipients)
The trainings are based on the following professional qualifications:
- Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months
- Healthcare professionals or retired (past 5 years) physicians, nurses, or practical nurses who are licensed/previously licensed to administer COVID-19 vaccine but have not done so in the last 12 months
- Vaccination support workers (not licensed to administer vaccine) qualified to prepare, store, handle, or transport vaccine
- Administration support staff qualified to store, handle, or transport vaccine.
 Maine COVID-19 Vaccination Community Outreach and Equity Collaborative Application
An application for consortia of organizations is available for those who are interested in creating community collaborative efforts to distribute at least 1,000 vaccines per week by pooling resources and populations to increase vaccine throughput, while also improving the equitable distribution of vaccines. Approval will result in receipt of COVID-19 vaccine from the State’s distribution (it is not an application for funding). Such community collaboratives must include at least one organization that has an existing Maine CDC Maine Immunization Program (MIP) provider agreement for COVID-19 vaccines.
Weekly COVID Allocation Request
Maine CDC/DHHS is rolling out a new process. The new process entails a weekly email sent on Friday mornings, to the two pre-identified individuals for your organization/agency.
Within the email will be a link to an online form, that will request specific information about your request, should you wish to be considered for vaccine allocations the following week.
The information requested will include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Date of last allocation
- Number of doses with last allocation
- Previous week’s throughput
- Number of doses remaining on hand
- Number of doses request for following week
- Current waitlist, if applicable.
- Steps taken by organization to promote equitable administration of vaccine
- Current partnerships with Community Based organizations that support vaccine access.
This does not guarantee doses will be allocated to your facility. If you are allocated vaccine, you will then receive an allocation notification ahead of any shipments to your facility. The Maine Immunization Program is currently placing orders on behalf of provider sites.
Maine Immunization Program's Provider Portal
All COVID-19 related information for Providers is located on the "COVID-19 Providers Portal" on the Maine Immunization Program's website. The portal includes information on how to enroll in the program, storage and handling resources, EUA Fact Sheets/Standing Orders, Vaccine Safety information, Communications from Maine Immunization Program, and slides to past presentations.
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