CDC Endorses Expanded Use of Bivalent mRNA Vaccines; Monovalent Doses No Longer Authorized

Washington State Department of Health sent this bulletin at 04/19/2023 05:03 PM PDT

This email is being sent to approved COVID-19 Vaccine Program Providers, Local Health Jurisdictions, and Emergency Preparedness Contacts.

Dear COVID-19 Vaccine Partners,

Following the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting today, the CDC issued a news release recommending the use of bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech products to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, and allow older adults and immunocompromised adults to get a second dose of bivalent vaccine.

The CDC recommendations allow providers to immediately begin administering vaccines according to the newly amended Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for bivalent Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech products.

Allow for an additional bivalent vaccine dose for adults 65 years and older.
Allow for an additional bivalent vaccine dose for certain people who are immunocompromised.
Everyone 6 years of age and older receives one bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals 6 years and older who have already received a bivalent mRNA vaccine do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised.
For young children, multiple doses continue to be recommended and will vary by age, vaccine, and which vaccines were previously received.

The fact sheets for Healthcare Professionals, Recipients, and Caregivers were updated for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines.

The CDC’s Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines page will be updated soon to provide further clinical guidance on vaccine administration under the updated recommendations.

Washington State Department of Health webpages and COVID-19 vaccine resources are being reviewed and will also be updated soon to reflect these changes.

Monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States. We thank you for your support in updating your inventory in the Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS) and discarding unused vaccines according to your local medical waste guidelines.

UPDATE: We have received questions about what category is recommended to report wastage in WAIIS. Please use “Category – Expired, Reason – Open Multidose Vial” when updating your inventory.

Thank you for your continued partnership in providing COVID-19 vaccines to the eligible children, adolescents, and adults in Washington State. Please reach out to us at COVID.Vaccine@doh.wa.gov with any questions you have.

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