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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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Q: WHAT IS A BIVALENT VACCINE?
A: According to the National Cancer Institute at the NIH, a bivalent vaccine is a vaccine that "works by stimulating an immune response against two different antigens, such as two different viruses or other microorganisms."
In the ongoing fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the U.S. has authorized four COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines are monovalent, targeting one variant of the virus, the original strain that circulated early in the pandemic.
Last year in November 2021, the Omicron variant was detected. With several subvariants following, it quickly became the predominant strain of COVID-19 worldwide. Today, Omicron continues to be the most widespread variant of COVID-19.
Addressing the need for a new booster vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna developed a bivalent or dual-variant vaccine that targets both the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2 and the Omicron BA.1 variant. Given the BA.5 subvariant now accounts for almost 90% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., the FDA has asked Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to revise their bivalent vaccines to target newer variants (rather than the original strain). The bivalent vaccines could receive emergency use authorization in the U.S. as early as next month (September 2022).
Eventually, it's possible we will see a multivalent COVID-19 vaccine that targets many strains of the virus, but for now none have been developed.
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COVID-19 BIVALENT BOOSTER
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the upcoming COVID-19 bivalent booster for both Moderna (18+) and Pfizer Bio-NTech (12+) will be made available in two waves for pre-ordering. The first wave of vaccine is reserved for Local Health Partners and Vaccine Depots. This will allow for vaccine to be transferred to smaller clinics that are not able to receive a full package size.
The program anticipates providers will be able to order these products in the Immunization Information System (IIS) on or around August 24th during wave 2. The minimum order quantity will be 100 doses for Moderna (blue cap) and 300 doses for Pfizer-BioNTech (grey cap). Based on current information from the CDC, only individuals that have completed their primary series will be eligible to receive a bivalent booster. Please note that eligibility parameters to receive a bivalent booster may change based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voting.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) anticipates demand for this product will exceed supply in the initial roll out waves. Orders may be reduced or denied. In these instances, please review the Vaccine Advertisement Page for available doses. Orders that are placed between August 24th and August 29th, by noon, will be considered for approval. The program expects order approvals for these products to follow normal cadence with approvals occurring every Monday and Thursday by (or after) the week of September 5th.
Orders for these products will not ship until emergency use authorization (EUA) is granted, which may occur in September or October. No vaccine will ship over Labor Day weekend (9/5).
We will continue to provide additional updates as they become available, so check back here next week for more information!
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2022 Immunize Washington Awards Announced!
What better way to celebrate National Immunization Awareness Month than with the Immunize WA Awards?!
The Health Plan Partnership - a cooperative alliance of the Department of Health, Washington State Health Care Authority, Governor Jay Inslee, and all the major health plans in Washington - is proud to celebrate the eighth year of the Immunize Washington Awards. Immunize Washington aims to increase immunization rates at the clinic level, encourage clinics to measure their immunization rates, recognize providers for their immunization efforts, and help Washington meet national goals for child and teen vaccines. All awardees were announced on Tuesday, August 16th and will receive an official certificate for their clinic, to honor their achievement.
These clinics, providers, and health care professionals across Washington are recognized for their excellent immunization rates protecting kids and teens from vaccine-preventable diseases. Thank you to each of these providers for their endless dedication to the health and wellbeing of our Washington families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic!
Did you/your child’s provider make the 2022 #ImmunizeWA awardee honor roll? Check out the awardee list here: Immunize Washington | Washington State Department of Health
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BACK TO SCHOOL TIME! PROMOTE COVID-19 VACCINES FOR KIDS
New CDC resources to help promote COVID-19 vaccines for children
As children around Washington state prepare to head back to school, COVID-19 vaccination and booster doses are an important part of protecting against severe illness. To ensure kids stay healthy and do not have to miss any school days, we hope you will share this message.
The CDC has developed a new suite of materials to support communication about COVID-19 vaccines as the new school year begins, including:
- Social media posts for your channels to reach parents, partners, and healthcare professionals
- Engaging flyer to distribute in schools, by email, or online
- Customizable template language and imagery for newsletter or website communications
- Social frames for use on your channels and by your followers
- Parent-friendly article or blog post highlighting the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for children
Visit Resources to Promote the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children & Teens to explore these new resources.
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CAN VACCINATION DURING PREGNANCY PROTECT NEWBORNS AGAINST COVID-19?
A study conducted in Norway, and published in JAMA, explored the possibility that vaccination during pregnancy may protect infants against COVID-19.
The findings showed a lower incidence of a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 in infants born to women vaccinated with a mRNA vaccine during pregnancy. The results suggest that maternal COVID-19 vaccination during the second or third trimester of pregnancy could reduce the risk of infection in the first four months of their infants' lives.
To read the more about the study and the findings, visit the JAMA Network.
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STORAGE & HANDLING - EXCURSIONS
If any temperature record is outside of the acceptable temperature range, it is considered an excursion and immediate action is required. Please review and follow the excursion protocol to ensure your facility does not experience delays in vaccine ordering, transfers, and administration. Don't forget to include the manufacturers recommendation or the case number in the Notes field with your temperature log submission.
Please take a few minutes to watch this brief YouTube video from DOH which reviews the process of how to document excursions when submitting temperature logs.
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FORECASTING ISSUES IN WAIIS
The Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS) forecast has been updated to include COVID-19 vaccines recommended for persons 6 months and older. The invalid message “No immunization schedule found for this vaccine type” should no longer appear. The Novavax forecast has not been added yet. As soon as a patch is available, we will test as quickly as possible and apply it to our system.
Additionally, the current COVID-19 vaccine forecast shows the following, and is based on CDC recommendations:
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Dose given too early (too short of an interval between doses) and given before 10/25/21
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Dose is counted as valid
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Dose given too early (too short of an interval between doses) and given on or after 10/25/21
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Dose is counted as invalid
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Booster dose given too early (too short of an interval between doses) or before minimum age
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Dose is currently counted as valid (future forecast patch will make some adjustments)
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Please email immunenurses@doh.wa.gov if you have any questions about the WAIIS forecast issues or if you suspect there may be an error. Thank you!
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NOVAVAX EXPIRATION UPDATE
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) was notified of the incorrect vaccine expiration dates listed on the Novavax Expiry Date Checker. This error has been corrected, and all Novavax vaccine should reflect an expiration date of February 2023. Please use this tool to double check Novavax lot numbers that are in inventory and ensure the correct expiration date is listed in the Immunization Information System (IIS). If you have any additional questions or need assistance, please email COVID.vaccine@doh.wa.gov.
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FALL OPERATIONAL PLANNING GUIDE
This week the CDC released its Fall Vaccination Operational Planning Guide which provides information on fall vaccine campaign, including the upcoming bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. Also included is a projected timeline and readiness checklist.
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COCA CONTINUING EDUCATION RESOURCES
Clinician Outreach and Community Activity (COCA) provides timely, accurate, and credible information to clinicians related to emergency preparedness and response and emerging public health threats.
COCA offers a variety of ways to learn, including through their calls and webinars, where subject matter experts present key emergency preparedness and response topics, followed by meaningful Q&A with participants. Each COCA call/webinar offers the most up to date information and guidance for clinicians, and many offer continuing education credits.
Check out the learning opportunities on the COCA site and you'll find variety of current topics including COVID-19, monkeypox and more!
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STRATEGIES TO DISCUSS THE COVID-19 VACCINE WITH YOUR MOST RELUCTANT PATIENTS
Friday, August 26 Noon-1pm PT
Join an expert panel of physicians at this free webinar to learn effective strategies to engage patients in conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine by addressing their questions, fears, and concerns. Physicians from communities with low vaccination rates will provide real world examples of how to discuss the pediatric and adult vaccines, as well as booster vaccines. Representatives from DOH will outline the key elements of Power of Providers (POP) and the resources included in the toolkit.
This activity meets the criteria for up to 1 hour of Category I CME credit.
For more information on this webinar and others from Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), visit their Upcoming Webinars page.
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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 August 14, 2022 and was sent out on August 19, 2022. |
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