Vaccine Choice Ends This Week

The vaccine choice window will end on Friday November 11^th. 

During this time providers can fill out the Vaccine Choice Request Form to request a change in the brand of vaccine they receive for vaccines with more than one brand available. Vaccines with only one brand option are included on all order sets.

Please use the Vaccine Choice Request Form to submit a change. You only need to submit a form if you are requesting a change. If you are keeping the same vaccines no form is needed. There are a couple new vaccines coming available to order in January 2023 including Priorix and Vaxneuvance, see more information below and in this edition's Clinical Corner. If your clinic would like to offer these vaccines, please submit a Vaccine Choice Request Form. 

Submit forms either by e-mail to WAChildhoodVaccines@doh.wa.gov or by fax to 360-236-3811.

If you have any questions, please contact Jacki Stockdale at jacki.stockdale@doh.wa.gov.

Prepare Now for Holiday Shipping

As the holidays approach, please be mindful of shipping delays, limited or no shipping days and plan your vaccine orders accordingly. In November, vaccine orders must be placed no later than November 15th in order to receive your vaccine delivery before December. December 7th is the latest date you can submit a vaccine order in order to receive the delivery before January. Please ensure your accountability reports are up to date prior to placing orders to ensure expedited processing. It's also a good idea to update your shipping hours in your provider agreement if needed. Check out the holiday shipping calendar on our website for more information.

Prepare For Inclement Weather

Storm season is already upon us! Now is a good time to review your Vaccine Emergency Plan which is located in your Vaccine Management Plan. Please include any staff members that may need to respond to an emergency vaccine situation in your planning. You can also view our recent Childhood Vaccine Program Training Series on Inclement Weather and Emergency Transport Plan.

Here are some things to remember when your facility loses power:

1. Do not open your storage units.
2. Place a “DO NOT OPEN” sign on the vaccine storage unit(s) and leave the door(s) shut to conserve cold air.
3. Notify the emergency contacts on your Emergency Plan.
4. Note the time the outage started and document storage unit temperatures (ROOM TEMP,CURRENT, MIN & MAX).
5. Assess the cause of the power failure and estimate the time it will take to restore power.
6. Take appropriate action for any temperature excursions following the Temperature Excursion Guide. Bag the vaccines and mark them “DO NOT USE” until you contact the manufacturers to determine viability.
7. If temperatures near out-of-range conditions, or for outages that extend beyond the current business day, transport vaccines to the alternate storage facility using the Emergency Transport Guide. Monitor temperatures throughout transport and report any excursions.

Please reach out to the Childhood Vaccine Program if you have questions or need help with follow-up after a temperature excursion.

CVP Provider Training Series

Join us this month for another session in the Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP) Training Series. Attend using the link below.

November 17, 2022

12:00 (noon)

Topic: IIS Transfer Process & Planning now for Holiday Shipping Delays

Intended Audience: Providers and Vaccine Coordinators

• Join the Training Session
• Meeting ID: 860 6354 6689
• Passcode: 199579

New Vaccines Coming in January

Priorix is an additional MMR vaccine as an option to prevent Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and was approved for use in children this year. It is made without the use of gelatin and is fully interchangeable with Merck's MMRII vaccine that is currently available.

Vaxneuvance (PCV15) is a 15 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that is manufacturered by Merck and approved for use in children this year. This vaccine is not replacing PCV-13 (Prevnar 13).

These vaccines will soon be offered in the Childhood Vaccine Program, beginning in January 2023. 

PCV15 Vaccine Recommendations; Available for Ordering in January 2023

In June 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended use of 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15 [Vaxneuvance, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC]) in addition to PCV13 and PPSV23 for children less than 19 years. Below are more details.

• Either PCV13 or PCV15 can be used for all children 2-59 months of age.
• In addition, pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for children 60–71 months with risk conditions, and persons 6–18 years with an immunocompromising condition, cerebrospinal fluid leak, or cochlear implant.
• PCV13 and PCV15 can be used interchangeably. 
• PCV15 is expected to reduce pneumococcal disease incidence in children because it induces immunity against additional disease-causing serotypes.
• Immunogenicity and safety studies of PCV15 are comparable to those of PCV13. 

Resources:

• Use of 15-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Among U.S. Children: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
• Recommended schedule for use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine among previously unvaccinated infants, children, and adolescents
• Recommendations for administering pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to incompletely vaccinated children
• Pneumococcal Vaccination: Summary of Who and When to Vaccinate (CDC)
• Pneumococcal Disease and Pneumococcal Vaccines Pink Book Webinar

For questions about the immunization schedule, the Immunization Information System forecast, or any other immunization clinical questions, please send an email to ImmuneNurses@doh.wa.gov. Check out the Immunization Training web page for more resources and training opportunities.

Are You Providing Vaccine Information Statements to Patients Prior to Vaccination?

Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) are documents that inform patients about the risks and benefits of each vaccine. Federal law (under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act) requires that:

• Clinics offer a copy of the current VIS before vaccinating the patient. The VIS must be offered prior to each dose of a multi-dose series.
• Clinics document the date the VIS was given to the patient and the VIS publication date in the patient’s medical record, along with other required vaccine documentation.

Where to find more information:

• CDC VIS webpage: Sign up to receive alerts when VIS are updated, download current VIS, and learn more about ways to provide to patients.  
• Immunization Action Coalition VIS webpage – This site offers VIS translated into more than 40 languages.