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This email is being sent to approved COVID-19 Vaccine Program Providers, Local Health Jurisdiction COVID-19 Vaccine Partners, and Local Health Jurisdiction Emergency Preparedness Contacts.
Dear COVID-19 Vaccine Partners,
On August 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to authorize a new, bivalent formulation of the vaccines for use as a single booster dose in people ages 12 and up. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet recommended this booster, so you may not administer this new bivalent booster (also called an omicron booster) yet.
The FDA also removed an authorization: The current (monovalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are NO LONGER authorized for use as boosters in people ages 12 years and older. As of today, you may no longer administer the current mRNA (Moderna and Pfizer) COVID-19 doses as boosters to this age group. You may still use this vaccine as a booster for people ages 5 to 11. Also, the current vaccines remain in use as doses for the primary series, so you may continue administering primary series doses the same as you have been.
You must reschedule or cancel any appointments for monovalent boosters for those ages 12 and up. You may reschedule these appointments for times when you will have the new bivalent booster available.
We expect more information about a recommendation for the new booster after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meets September 1 and 2. After that, we will let you know the details of the new recommendations.
Here are a few things to keep in mind for now.
Recommendations
- ACIP is scheduled to discuss and vote on a recommendation for the new booster on September 1 and, if needed, September 2. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup then will meet to approve the recommendations for use in Washington state.
- Individuals 18 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
- Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible for a single booster dose of the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine if it has been at least two months since they have completed primary vaccination or have received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
- Do not toss your current primary series products.
Ordering
- Please order lean and order frequently for all formulations of COVID-19 vaccine you carry, including the new bivalent booster.
- Keep your quantities and record-keeping up to date.
- Ordering for bivalent boosters reopened in the WAIIS today. Orders will be reviewed beginning Thursday, September 1.
- At this time, we are spending down remaining doses from wave 2’s allocation, but hopeful to receive additional doses to fulfill as many orders as we can.
- Routine vaccine ordering will begin the week of September 5.
- Please note the office will be closed and no vaccine orders will be delivered on September 5 itself in observance of Labor Day.
- Please see the email (linked here) from DOH on Wednesday, Aug. 24, with more bivalent booster ordering instructions.
- If you have more doses of primary series or monovalent booster doses than you anticipate needing, you can post them to the advertisement page in WAIIS for redistribution.
Vaccine information
- The bivalent (meaning two strains) vaccines, also known as omicron boosters, contain two strains: one component of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and a second component from the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant. The monovalent (meaning one strain) COVID-19 vaccines previously administered since December 2020 only contain the original strain.
- The updated bivalent boosters are expected to provider better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant
Research continues to show that vaccination against COVID-19, including boosters, saves lives and the new boosters will provide even more protection against omicron variants. Thank you for your work in keeping individuals up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. We will be sending out more information after the ACIP meets.
In partnership,
COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Prevention and Community Health Division
Washington State Department of Health
COVID.vaccine@doh.wa.gov
360-236-3873 | www.doh.wa.gov
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