 May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. This observance serves as a time to raise awareness about hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C while encouraging testing, vaccination, and timely treatment. Viral hepatitis is a major public health threat and worse, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States don't know they are infected. Work with us to remind everyone that hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be prevented, and hepatitis C can be cured.
For additional information, visit the CDC webpage.
- Recommend Penmenvy (GSK) MenABCWY when MenACWY + MenB (Bexsero) are given together.
- Add Penmenvy to VFC.
- Expand RSV vaccine to adults 50–59 at high-risk.
- Recommend chikungunya vaccines (Chik-VLP, VImkunya, Bavarian Nordic) for travelers 12+ and exposed lab workers.
- Add precaution for live chikungunya vaccine (Chik-LA, Ixchiq, Valneva) in adults 65+.
Next ACIP meeting: June 25–26, 2025.
Novavax vaccine is no longer available for ordering (last field expiry was 4/30/2025). Please remove expired doses and follow guidance from MIP's Provider Policy and Procedure Manual (Page 29-30).
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines remain available with these expiries:
Moderna
- 6m–11y: 9/12/2025
- 12y+: 9/14/2025
Pfizer
- 6m–4y, 5–11y (3-month shelf life; viable for 10 weeks in the refrigerator)
- 12y+: 9/6/2025.
- AstraZeneca will launch a self/caregiver FluMist option, available only through online pharmacy.
- FluMist will remain available for healthcare provider administration.
- CDC contracts for the 2025–2026 season will not include the self/caregiver option.
- FluMist for in-office use will be available for the 2025–2026 season.
- CDC is still evaluating if and how self/caregiver use may fit into CDC programs.
Submit your nominations by May 9, 2025!
Make sure an outstanding team member is recognized -- send in your forms today.
Completed nomination forms can be sent via email to caitlin.anton@maine.gov or faxed to 207-287-8127 Attn: Caitlin Anton.
To learn more about the Immunization Champion Award, please see our recent communication. |
MIP-supplied vaccine should never be used as a continuous replacement system for a provider location’s privately purchased vaccine inventory for filling the vaccine needs of out of state privately insured children, or any adults aged 19 years or older. The MIP-supplied vaccine and private vaccine must be kept separate and clearly labeled as such.
If a dose is accidentally administered to an ineligible MIP patient:
- Reach out to MIP for a Borrowing Form, which will need to be completed for each dose given.
- Fax the form to MIP at 207-287-8127 and retain it for three years.
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Replace the vaccine with privately purchased dose of the same vaccine and record it in ImmPact.
Failure to follow these steps within 30 days may result in probation or suspension of ordering privileges. For more detailed information, please refer to our Provider Policy and
Procedure Manual.
The Tier 3 recording is now available and has been sent to all locations. We have extended the set-up date to be fully functioning by May 9, 2025. Some locations may still be troubleshooting -- reach out to mipdataloggers@maine.gov if you need more time.
IMPORTANT: Please include your sites 4 digit pin number when emailing or faxing MIP. This helps to quickly assist you.
Control Solutions' support team is based on the West Coast (Pacific Time), which is three hours behind Eastern Time. To ensure timely assistance, the best time to reach them from Maine is between 12 - 5 PM EST.
Temperature Documentation Reminder:
There will be no change to the monitoring and documentation of temperatures. All sites will still need to manually enter temperature into ImmPact as well as write them on the paper temperature log.
Calibration Requirements:
Please note the link to the calibration smart probes sent in previous guidance is incorrect. Control Solutions is working to update their website to include the smart probe for the VFC800 Wi-Fi device.
Once available, the link to smart probes for re-calibration will be sent out. All new data loggers have calibration good for two years, expiring in March 2027.
Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility during the rollout of the new data loggers.
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