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This is the last week for vaccine choice. The last day to request changes is Thursday October 31st.
During this time providers can fill out the Vaccine Choice 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 following link to access the form to request changes. You only need to submit a form if you are requesting a change. If you are keeping the same vaccines, no form is needed.
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
It is an expectation of enrollment in the Childhood Vaccine Program that providers order COVID-19 vaccine and all other routine vaccines recommended by the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice) for the population they serve. If young infants are served, nirsevimab is expected to be available. This ensures children receiving care at enrolled sites have access to all routinely recommended vaccines in their medical home without needing to be referred elsewhere. This helps avoid missed opportunities to vaccinate especially in rural areas where health care access is limited. Additionally, there is no special equipment needed to store COVID vaccine and it can be ordered in much smaller quantities than when the vaccine was initially available through the COVID Vaccine Program.
Making COVID vaccines available at enrolled facilities is especially important now because where patients can receive COVID vaccine changed with the commercialization of this vaccine. For example, Medicaid will not pay for vaccines outside of the Childhood Vaccine Program, so Medicaid (and uninsured patients) may be turned away from pharmacies. It is important that CVP providers have vaccine available for their patients as they may not be able to receive vaccines elsewhere.
To ensure access to nirsevimab and COVID vaccine, it needs to be available at all enrolled facilities even if it’s just ordering the minimum quantity so that you have some vaccine on hand. The COVID Vaccine At-A-Glance Guide can help you determine what product(s) are best for your facility.
We would like to share a couple of nirsevimab resources that providers may find helpful this respiratory season:
Novavax vaccine being distributed has an expiry of 11/30/24. Novavax doses that expire on 10/31/24 will expire on that date.
Novavax will be requesting a shelf-life extension for doses that have an expiry of 11/30/24 and beyond during the season. An Expiration Look-up Tool is available for providers to check for the most up-to-date information about expiry before administration. The tool is accessible via QR code on the vaccine carton and here.
CDC will continue to distribute Novavax vaccine up until 18 days before expiry. To minimize vaccine wastage, we encourage placing smaller, more frequent orders and limiting quantities to the amount of vaccine that can be utilized within a two-week period.
Providers receive re-usable coolers with all frozen and some refrigerated vaccine shipments. These coolers should be returned to be refurbished using the enclosed pre-paid UPS shipping label. Flyers included in each shipment include step-by-step directions for providers, including how to request a pick up if the provider isn't a part of a regular route.
 Return instructions can be found on flap 1 of the box and the return label is on flap 2. If a label is not included, please request one by emailing info@coldchaintech.com.
Moderna COVID vaccines should be stored in a standard freezer (same as where Varicella & MMRV are stored) when shipments arrive. Then doses can be thawed as needed. If Moderna COVID vaccines are stored in the fridge upon arrival at your clinic, they must be used within 60 days and must be labeled with the appropriate Beyond-Use-Date (BUD). The red box in the image below from the COVID Vaccines At-A-Glance Guide shows the BUD when Moderna COVID vaccines are stored in the fridge or at room temperature.
 Not all COVID vaccines are stored the same. Prior to ordering and receiving COVID vaccines:
- Review the storage and handling considerations for each presentation. Pick what makes the most sense for your clinic.
- Be sure to read and follow all the storage and handling information for the COVID vaccines your clinic has ordered, including all information enclosed in the shipping container.
- Use BUD labels to monitor vaccines. This date changes when vaccines are moved from one storage state to another (e.g. ultra frozen, frozen, refrigerated)
All providers enrolled in the Childhood Vaccine Program must have a back-up thermometer readily available to perform temperature monitoring when needed. Back-up thermometer must meet the same program requirements as the primary thermometer.
It is recommended that the back-up thermometer be maintained on site, however providers wishing to maintain back-up thermometers at one central location may submit an Off-Site Back-up Thermometer Request Form. Providers may not keep back-up thermometers at a central location until they receive approval from the Childhood Vaccine Program to do so.
The Office of Immunization has updated our seasonal vaccine dashboards to include data for the 2024-2025 season. All dashboards are updated weekly on Wednesdays by 3pm. Updated data is available on the following dashboards:
There has been a few changes to the COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard this season. Coverage metrics were updated to align with how federal partners report vaccination coverage in the CDC COVIDVaxView. The previously available initiated and up-to-date metrics have been retired. Available metrics on the COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard include:
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Primary Series Coverage: People who received the recommended number of doses for the primary series.
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Last Season Coverage: People who received at least one dose of the 2023-2024 vaccine between September 11, 2023 and August 22, 2024.
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Current Season Coverage: People with at least one dose of the 2024-2025 vaccine since August 22, 2024.
If you have questions or need any technical assistance with any of the available vaccine dashboards, please email WAIISDataRequests@doh.wa.gov.
Washington State Department of Health’s Power of Providers (POP) initiative invites you to participate in an upcoming webinar, Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural Communities: Part One. This is part one of a two-part series. Please visit POP's webinar page for more information about Part 2. The webinar will be on Wednesday, October 30, from noon to 1:00 p.m. and features experts from the Washington State University. Dr. Anya Sheftel is a licensed psychologist and Dr. Erica Austin is the founding director of the Edward R. Murrow Center.
Register here
The presenters will share the Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter Toolkit, a motivational interviewing (MI) resource that providers can use to help patients choose trustworthy sources of information and respond to brain-friendly promotional messages. The strategies included in the toolkit support impactful vaccine interactions with patients in time-limited conversations. The workshops aim to meet the needs of practitioners serving rural communities who have experience using MI or are new to the practice.
The webinar will be recorded and offers live ASL interpretation. Continuing education credit is available for nurses (RN, LPN, ARNP), pharmacy technicians pharmacists, allopathic physicians (MD), osteopathic physicians (DOs), physician assistants, naturopathic physicians (NDs) and medical assistants.
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