MnVFC Announcement: COVID-19 Vaccine for 5-11-year-olds and Upcoming Webinars

Minnesota Department of Health sent this bulletin at 10/11/2021 05:05 PM CDT
minnesota department of health

COVID-19 Vaccine for 5-11-year-olds and Upcoming Webinars

We are anticipating the authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine down to age 5 in the coming weeks. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) is scheduled to meet October 26 to discuss this. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to vote on the topic November 2-3, pending FDA authorization.

  • If you are not already enrolled in the COVID-19 vaccine program, now is a good time to enroll to prepare to serve kids under the age of 12. To enroll, complete the pre-registration form at COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Registration. After you pre-register, you’ll be sent a link to formally enroll.
  • If you are currently enrolled, but your system or clinic is using Moderna vaccine, this might be the time to consider changing to Pfizer so you can vaccinate kids from 5-17 years old.

Details on the vaccine

The vaccine for this age group is packaged differently than the current adult/adolescent vaccine (for people down to age 12 years) because younger-aged children will be receiving a smaller dose. It will not be acceptable to make a pediatric dose from the adult vaccine.

The 5-11 year old pediatric vaccine will come in a different color vial than the adult/adolescent vaccine and will have different storage and handling requirements. The product can be kept in the ultra-low cold freezer for up to six months and in the refrigerator for up to 10 weeks. This product CANNOT be stored in the regular freezer. The pediatric vaccine will also come in 100 dose packages (10 multi-dose vials without preservative with 10 doses per vial).

Pre-book and ordering vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine providers will be able to pre-book vaccine from October 18 through 25 in anticipation of shipment the first week after an ACIP recommendation. Please place a request for vaccine using the “Request Special Event Vaccine” functionality in the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) during this time period to cover your needs for the first week of the campaign Refer to our Special Event Vaccine Request (PDF) user guide for instructions on how to use this functionality. Please note that we expect the minimum order for the first week of shipping to be 300 doses. In the weeks thereafter, 100 doses will be the minimum order.

After the pre-book for the initial week of the campaign, the window to request additional vaccine will re-open each week. Do not request more vaccine than you can use during a one- to two-week time period to avoid stockpiling. Pfizer expects shipping timelines to remain the same. Please plan for your vaccine and ancillary kits to arrive within three to five business days of placing your request in MIIC.

Upcoming webinars

MDH will be hosting two Teams Live events with information and training specific to the 5-11 year old pediatric formulation. The first event will be held Thursday, October 14 from 12-12:30 p.m. and will cover general product information including storage and handling updates, resources for requesting vaccine, and time for questions. Click here to join the Microsoft Teams Live Event. Future training events will be announced in the COVID-19 vaccine weekly provider bulletin.

If you have not already signed up for our provider updates (weekly bulletin), please go to COVID-19 Vaccine Providers to sign up at the top of the page. This is the way we communicate all changes and updates about COVID-19 vaccine.

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