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Please join us for our upcoming CVP Training Series: Respiratory Season Preview
We will share updates on influenza, COVID-19, and RSV products for the 2026-2027 respiratory season. There will be a focus on vaccine ordering and distribution to support timely and effective immunization efforts as well as information on specific storage and handling requirements.
Date: August 6, 2026
Time: 12PM-1PM
 Respiratory season is just around the corner. To help you get ready, please review the flyer Respiratory Success- Tips to Start the Season Strong, featuring helpful tips and best practices for a successful start to the season.
Here are some highlights:
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Prepare your Systems Before the Season: Ensure your EHR/EMR, scheduling processes, standing orders, and billing systems are ready for respiratory season. Additionally, clean up IIS inventory by deactivating expired lots. Preparing now can prevent delays, missed opportunities, and billing issues.
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Use Last Year's Data to Plan Orders: Review your practice’s monthly vaccine administration (not just your order history) from the 25–26 respiratory season. Use the Recommended Order Quantity (ROQ) calculator before placing vaccine orders.
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This Spreadsheet contains vaccine administration data from the IIS as reported by your facility. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will use this data this season when reviewing and approving order quantities. The spreadsheet contains data on flu, COVID-19, and RSV, which can be filtered by your facility's PIN. Please review your facility's data for awareness.
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The suggests how many vaccine doses your facility should order. It is a general guide and does not account for seasonality or other factors that might increase your vaccine needs. Regularly check your vaccine inventory to ensure you have enough supply. Use your past administration data when calculating your order and make sure your inventory is correct.
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Manage Inventory and Storage Carefully: Be strategic with vaccine inventory and storage. Consider placing smaller, more frequent orders when possible to help reduce waste. For COVID-19 vaccines, keep most inventory in the freezer (Moderna) or ultra-cold freezer (Pfizer blue cap) and only thaw what is likely to be used in the near future and protect from light.
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Prevent Vaccine Expiration: Check inventory every week and follow a first- expire, first-out approach. Move vaccines with the earliest expiration dates to the front and put "Use
First" stickers on doses that should be used next.
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Make Every Visit a Vaccine Opportunity: Review vaccination status at every visit and offer all recommended respiratory immunizations when patients are eligible. Co-administration is safe and effective, and vaccinating at the same visit reduces missed opportunities while improving protection before respiratory viruses begin circulating.
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Most flu, COVID-19, and RSV doses are administered in October and November, so plan inventory accordingly, then lower orders as demand declines later in the season.
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Plan larger flu and COVID-19 clinics later in October, as vaccine supply may be more limited in September and early October.
Ordering timelines are dependent on several factors, including product availability, manufacturer shipments, and federal approval processes.
RSV Products
- Ordering is expected to open mid-August
Influenza Vaccine
- Ordering timeline is dependent on receipt of doses from manufacturers
- Based on recent seasons, ordering is expected to open between mid-August and Labor Day
COVID-19 Vaccine
- Ordering timeline is dependent on FDA approval and receipt of doses from manufacturers
- Based on previous seasons, ordering is expected to open in late September to early October
Additional updates will be shared through the Vaccine Blurbs as information becomes available.
New this year, all providers must submit a Vaccine Choice form to select RSV and/or COVID-19 vaccine order sets for the upcoming season.
You will not have access to a respiratory order set without a completed form.
If you have not submitted yours, please send the completed form by email to WAChildhoodVaccines@doh.wa.gov as soon as possible.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Office of Immunization's listening sessions and community conversations this spring. Your feedback helped identify key opportunities to strengthen future respiratory immunization seasons. If you were unable to participate, there is still an opportunity to share your perspective.
Using the feedback we received, a cross-sector workgroup developed a proposed improvement plan. We are now inviting all partners to review the proposed improvements and provide final feedback before the plan is finalized. Whether you participated in the listening sessions or are sharing your thoughts for the first time, your input is valued and will help ensure the final plan reflects partner needs and perspectives.
Review the proposed improvement plan: https://doh.wa.gov/3481178-DraftImprovementPlan.pdf
Give us your feedback: https://forms.office.com/g/UibW3YM2gs
Survey closes: July 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to improving respiratory immunization planning and coordination across Washington.
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