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Welcome to the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Newsletter! Here you'll find the latest news and information on COVID-19 vaccine related topics.
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Celebrating freedom and wishing you a very happy Juneteenth!
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Q: HOW CAN PROVIDERS KNOW WHEN TO START ADMINISTERING COVID-19 VACCINES?
A: Before any new vaccine or vaccine expansion is authorized for use, there are several approvals (done by vote) that begin at the federal level reviewing safety and efficacy. With the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, the state of Washington opted to add an additional layer of approval in the interest of ensuring the best health outcomes. In October 2020, Washington, along with Oregon and Nevada, joined California's Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. The newly named Western States Scientific States Safety Review Workgroup (WSSSRW) is made up of scientists, with expertise in immunization and public health, who independently review the safety and efficacy of vaccines the FDA recommends. Once the WSSSRW weighs in, The Department of Health lets Washington providers know they may begin vaccinating.
For more information, please visit the Clinical Information for COVID-19 page on the DOH website. If you expand the first section under Standing Orders, you will find details on the approval process and vaccine protocols.
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LONG-AWAITED PEDIATRIC COVID-19 VACCINES ARE CURRENTLY IN AUTHORIZATION PROCESS
Olympia - Several COVID-19 vaccination series for children are being considered for emergency use authorization in the coming days, including:
- A Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 6 months - 4 years
- A Moderna vaccine for children ages 6 months - 5 years
- A second Moderna vaccine for youth ages 6 -17 years
The agencies that must authorize or recommend vaccines for these ages are the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. If the recommendations pass, the Washington State Department of Health will begin supplying health care providers with the vaccines.
“Getting vaccinated remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you. We applaud the patience of parents anxiously awaiting this authorization. As a parent, I understand their desire to protect their child,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “We expect enough vaccines to meet initial demand and that supply will continue to increase in the coming days and week.
Read the news release in English.
Leer el artículo en Español.
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 FDA AUTHORIZES MODERNA AND PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINES FOR CHILDREN DOWN TO 6 MONTHS OF AGE
July 17, 2022
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include use in children down to 6 months of age.
- For the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, the FDA amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) to include use of the vaccine in individuals 6 months through 17 years of age. The vaccine had been authorized for use in adults 18 years of age and older.
- For the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, the FDA amended the EUA to include use of the vaccine in individuals 6 months through 4 years of age. The vaccine had been authorized for use in individuals 5 years of age and older.
Key points:
- The FDA’s evaluation and analysis of the safety, effectiveness and manufacturing data of these vaccines was rigorous and comprehensive, supporting the EUAs.
- The agency determined that the known and potential benefits of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the known and potential risks in the pediatric populations authorized for use for each vaccine.
- Prior to making the decision to authorize these vaccines for the respective pediatric populations, the FDA’s independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was consulted and voted in support of the authorizations.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will be meeting this weekend to vote on their recommendations. Vaccinations for children as young as 6 months old could be available as early as next week.
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 Q & A WITH DOH
On Thursday, June 16 our own Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett and Assistant Secretary of Health Michele Roberts held a Facebook Live Q&A about COVID-19 vaccine pediatric authorization and what you can expect in the coming weeks.
If you missed the session, you catch watch the recording here.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE FOR CHILDREN
The DOH Health Promotion and Education team has published a new blog addressing the questions heard most often around the pending COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 and younger.
With cases still prevalent throughout our state, it's important to remember that although uncommon, COVID-19 can be serious and sometimes deadly in children. The effects of COVID-19 are also unknown, and even children who have mild cases can develop long-term symptoms.
Check out the information on vaccines for children under 5 and ways to prevent COVID-19 infection in the blog.
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 HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CARE-A-VAN!
Last weekend, DOH’s Care-a-Van celebrated its first anniversary. The Care-a-Van is a mobile COVID-19 vaccination effort across Washington state that works closely with tribal health partners, local health jurisdictions, and community partners to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines for priority communities.
In year one, Care-a-Van:
- Hosted more than 400 vaccine clinics and administered close to 16,000 vaccine doses.
- Hosted clinics in 30 counties across the state.
- Partnered with All In Washington to award $600,000 to organizations hosting Care-a-Van clinics. Grants between $5,000 and $15,000 were provided to 108 organizations to support venue rental fees, food, incentives, volunteer stipends, promotion, etc.
- Onboarded six community outreach workers to support the promotion of scheduled clinics, assess community needs, and identify resources to share with community members and partners.
The Care-a-Van team continues to work closely with partners to serve communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, using data from the Social Vulnerability Index to prioritize outreach.
To find additional information, a service request form, FAQs, and more, visit DOH’s Care-a-Van webpage.
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NOVAVAX RECOMMENDED FOR EUA
On June 7, 2022, Novavax was recommended for EUA the by the FDA's advisory panel. There are no immediate plans for the state of Washington to order the Novavax vaccine but this could change as early as late summer 2022 based on when the product is approved for authorization.
For more information on the Novavax vaccine and authorization process, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides a helpful overview.
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ORDERING IS OPEN
COVID-19 vaccine for 6 months - 4/5 years
Vaccine ordering for Moderna (Blue Cap) 6mos-5yrs and Pfizer-BioNTech (Maroon Cap) 6mos-4yrs is available to order in the WAIIS. Orders are approved on Mondays and Thursdays at noon, every week.
Doses are also available at most vaccine depots.
FAQs: How Providers Can Request COVID-19 Vaccine from Depots (wa.gov)
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SYSTEM UPDATES FOLLOWING VACCINE AGE EXPANSION
In anticipation of the COVID-19 vaccine age expansion recommendations, the following system updates will be made.
- PrepMod: Will receive updated dropdown options using the same format for ordering in the Immunization Information System (IIS) for the following products:
- Moderna: 6y through 17y
- Moderna: 6 months through 5 years
- Pfizer-BioNTech: 6 months through 4 years
- If you have any questions regarding PrepMod please email: Prepmod@doh.wa.gov
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Vaccine Locator: Will receive additional dropdowns for patient registrations and plan to deploy this Friday, June 17th in the afternoon (the system will not be available while this update occurs):
- Pfizer-BioNTech Pediatric, ages 6 months through 4 years
- Moderna Pediatric, ages 6 months through 5 years
- If you want your facility to appear in Vaccinate WA please contact the WA HEALTH team at: wahealth@doh.wa.gov
- Immunization Information System (IIS): Once COVID-19 vaccines can be administered to the new age group, the IIS will receive COVID-19 vaccination records for children 6 months to less than 5 years of age. Patient records may initially show in the IIS as ‘invalid’ until a forecasting patch is applied to the system.
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 PFIZER-BIONTECH MAROON CAP GUIDANCE
As the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is currently in the authorization process for those ages 6 months through 4 years, please note the vaccine for this age group:
- Will be a dilute before use and presented with a maroon cap
- Will have the same storage and handling considerations as the orange cap Pfizer-BioNTech Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine (ages 5 to 11)
- May have vial and carton labels with different information than the emergency use authorization; ALWAYS review the EUA Fact Sheets prior to the preparation of the vaccine
Please send any questions to COVID.Vaccine@doh.wa.gov.
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WEBINAR: PEDIATRIC COVID-19 VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS AND BOOSTER UPDATES
June 29, 2022 12:00-1:00pm PT
The Washington Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to host a webinar on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 from 12-1pm. The webinar will feature Dr. John B. Dunn, Medical Director of Knowledge & Implementation at Kaiser Permanente, WA. Dr. Dunn will discuss dosing regimens for Moderna vaccine for older children and Moderna and Pfizer vaccine for children under 6 years of age. These updates are pending FDA and ACIP approvals as of 6/17/22. Kristina Barnes, DOH COVID-19 Vaccine Public Health Nurse Consultant will review current booster updates for all ages.
The webinar will be recorded and continuing education is available for nurses, medical assistants, pharmacists, and pharmacy techs. The content may be of interest to healthcare providers, local public health, and anyone interested in learning more about this topic.
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 IMMUNIZATION CHAMPION AWARD
Now seeking nominations!
The Washington State Department of Health is now seeking nominations for the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) Immunization Champion Award.
The Immunization Champion Award, formerly known as the CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award, recognizes local immunization efforts in Washington state. The program has been expanded this year to recognize individuals for their work in routine childhood vaccination, or for flu, HPV, or COVID-19 work across the lifespan.
Select nominees may be honored with an Immunization Action Coalition Washington (IACW) award through this process. IACW will select winners for the Immunization Advocate Award and the Immunization Collaborator Award alongside the AIM Immunization Champion Award.
If you are interested in nominating someone, you can download the nomination packet on the AIM webpage. All nominations for the state of Washington must be emailed to the Washington State Department of Health at phillip.wiltzius@doh.wa.gov by June 27, 2022. The official award winners for each state will be announced on August 15, 2022.
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FOR SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES
FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
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SIGN UP FOR THIS NEWSLETTER!
If you aren't already signed up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Newsletter, please visit the Department of Health's email subscribers page here. Once you enter your email, on the next page expand the Immunization topic, select the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Newsletter, and click submit.
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This newsletter summarizes content from the week of June 12, 2022 and was sent out on June 17, 2022. |
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