Flu Vaccine is Available

2024-2025 flu season is here! Flu vaccine order sets will be available today, August 14th. Orders will be processed weekly initially, with additional processing days added as more supply is received. We do not receive the same amount of each vaccine at the same time so expect adjustments to orders early on to accommodate product availability. Our goal is to ensure all providers receive some vaccine. Please consider scheduling large flu clinics for late September or early October when we anticipate greater supply availability.

This is the vaccine that will be available through the Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP) this season. All flu vaccine for this season is trivalent.

*We ordered a small amount of the multi-dose vial (MDV) for those clinics that need this vaccine for storage capacity concerns. This product is NOT to be used for children under the age of 3 years.

We encourage providers to anticipate using any of the flu products available through the CVP at any time during the season in case your preferred product is not available.

Note: The pre-filled syringe (PFS) is the correct dosage of 0.5mL for all children 6 months through 18 years. DO NOT administer half of a syringe for infants 6 months through 35 months.

The Flu Vaccines At-A-Glance for the upcoming flu season can be found on the Publicly Supplied Vaccines Webpage or the direct document.

DOH COVID-19 Webinar

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is hosting a webinar at 12pm PT on Thursday, August 29, 2024. Department of Health staff will discuss current COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, vaccine ordering, and storage and handling guidelines. DOH will record the webinar for future viewing. Continuing education is available for nurses and medical assistants.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for 2024-2025.
• Describe vaccine ordering and availability through DOH's Childhood and Adult Vaccine Programs.
• Discuss current COVID-19 vaccine storage and handling guidelines.

Visit our webinar web page for more details, or check out our immunization training page for more education opportunities.

We look forward to seeing you there!

MenQuadfi Changes

Sanofi Pasteur made a change to the package size of their MCV4 (MenQuadfi) vaccine. Previously, the MenQuadfi package size was 5-doses; the new package size is 10-doses. The switch to the new package size occurred over the weekend. 

Please be aware this has changed the minimum order quantity for this vaccine. The minimum order quantity is now 10 doses and must be ordered in multiples of 10. The NDC is different for the different package size: 

5-dose pack: 49281-0590-05 (old NDC)

10-dose pack: 49281-0590-10 (new NDC)

Recommended Order Quantities and Seasonality

As summer ends and we gear up for back to school, remember to adjust your vaccine orders accordingly. The recommended order quantity (ROQ)  guide is a great place to start when determining how much vaccine to order, but it does not factor in seasonality or other reasons for increased need. We don't want providers to run out of vaccines and potentially miss an opportunity to vaccinate. Order based on your facility's needs, especially if you will be hosting any vaccination events. 

Updated RSV Vaccine Recommendations for Adults

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine recommendations for adults were recently published after the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) meeting in June. Here’s a summary of the updated recommendations:

• Three RSV vaccines are now licensed for adults 60 years and older (i.e., Arexvy [GSK], Abrysvo [Pfizer], or mResvia [Moderna]).
• All adults 75 years and older are recommended to receive a single dose of any RSV vaccine if they have not previously received RSV vaccine. Adults who have previously received RSV vaccine should not receive another dose.
• All adults aged 60–74 years who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease are recommended to receive RSV vaccine if they have not previously received a dose. Those at higher risk include people with certain chronic medical conditions, moderate or severe immune compromise, and living in nursing homes.
• Health care providers can determine patient eligibility for RSV vaccination based on clinical assessment. Patient attestation is sufficient evidence of the presence of a risk factor and vaccinators should not deny RSV vaccination to a person because of lack of documentation.
• RSV vaccine can be given at the same time as other recommended adult vaccines.
• Adults who have not previously received RSV vaccination may be vaccinated at any time of year, but vaccination will have the most benefit if given in late summer or early fall, just before the RSV season, or August–October, in most of the U.S.

Resource: Healthcare Providers: RSV Vaccination for Adults 60 Years of Age and Over | CDC

2024-2025 Flu vaccine Standing Orders Updated

Immunize​.org updated their Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Adults and Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Children and Teens to incorporate the recent ACIP recommendation to permit the use of Fluzone high dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV3) or Fluad (adjuvanted IIV) for solid organ transplant recipients 18 through 64 years old and receiving immunosuppressive medication.

The Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2024–2025 Influenza Season has also been updated. All influenza vaccines marketed in the United States for the 2024-25 season will be trivalent rather than quadrivalent as in past seasons. The FDA supported removing the influenza B Yamagata component for the 2024-25 season since the strain has not circulated since March 2020. The updated trivalent version will include protection against two common type A influenza viruses and one type B influenza virus.

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.

Did you know that you can request IIS training?

To request an IIS training or for assistance with using the WA IIS, click here.