This email is being sent to local health officers, tribal health directors, COVID-19 vaccinators, COVID-19 vaccine stakeholders, HERC coordinators, and key DHS staff.
Reflection
As part of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ (DHS) $6.2 million grant program to promote vaccine equity, local and tribal health departments, vaccinators, and community-based organizations have been finding ways to ensure underserved and historically marginalized populations have the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
An awardee of the first round of funding, Kenosha County Public Health, is now in their third week of implementing block-by-block mobile vaccinations in partnership with community leaders. They have been making headlines with this new vaccination approach.
A second round of funding to promote vaccine equity is now available. Learn more below.
Because of partners like this, Wisconsin has administered more than 6.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with 57.2% of all Wisconsin residents having received at least one dose.
Thank you to all Wisconsin vaccinators for your continued hard work and dedication.
DHS Announces Multiple Funding Opportunities to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Now Open
On October 13, DHS announced funds from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be made available to promote racial and geographic equity in the COVID-19 response. For more details review this GovD bulletin. There are two funding streams available to partners:
National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Funding:
- Wisconsin was awarded $27 million, with approximately $9 million being allocated to rural-specific projects, to combat inequities related to COVID-19 infection, illness, and death. Funding opportunities will be offered through June 2021. The first grant in this initiative is funding for Mobilizing Communities for a Just Response — a $3 million grant program that seeks to support Wisconsin’s local and tribal health departments and nonprofits in addressing health inequities and the broader consequences of the COVID-19-pandemic.
Vaccine Community Outreach Grant Funding:
- Earlier this year, DHS awarded $6.2 million in Vaccine Community Outreach grants to one hundred organizations across Wisconsin. An additional $13 million in funding has been set aside to continue this Vaccine Community Outreach grant program, which funds organizations across Wisconsin to increase vaccinations by serving as trusted messengers within their communities, build vaccine confidence, and reduce barriers that hinder vaccine access for marginalized or underserved populations.
Upcoming VRBPAC and ACIP Meetings
Refer to the chart below for the upcoming Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) and the CDC's Advisory Council for Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings.
 Pfizer Offering COVID-19 Vaccine Medical Updates
Pfizer Vaccines US Medical Affairs and BioNTech will be hosting training sessions for its COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesdays, at 4:00 p.m. CST, and Thursdays, at 11:00 a.m. CST, for the remainder of 2021.
These sessions will continuously be updated to reflect new information and changes from Pfizer-BioNTech. Session topics may include:
- FDA indication and authorizations
- CDC and ACIP recommendations
- Packaging and presentation updates
- Storage, handling, and administration
- Test your knowledge (Q&A scenarios for various storage and expiry conditions)
October 2021 Sessions
Please click on the links below to join the sessions at the designated times.
Before administration of the vaccine, please see full Prescribing Information (16+ years of age) and EUA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (12+ years of age).
Updated Pfizer-BioNTech Standing Orders
The Pfizer-BioNTech Standing Orders have been updated to reflect booster doses. The new standing orders have been posted on Administration Overview for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
Planning for FDA Approval of Moderna Booster Vaccines
Planning is underway in anticipation of FDA and ACIP decisions regarding Moderna booster vaccines. While many specifics surrounding boosters are still pending, we can anticipate some operational needs as we continue with planning and preparedness efforts.
There appears to be some confusion around the 1 mL syringes necessary to extract the proposed 0.25mL booster dose. Your need to acquire additional 1mL needles is based on whether you will be administering vaccine currently in inventory or whether you are ordering additional inventory.
For Moderna vaccine currently in your inventory:
- Additional 1mL syringes for existing inventory will not be provided.
- There is currently a surplus of syringes (approximately 15+ million) in the field.
- This surplus is not equitably distributed, but vaccinators are encouraged to identify and use this resource first.
- Vaccinators will need to purchase or redistribute syringes to address any shortages from existing inventory in the state.
- We highly recommend you assess your inventory of both vaccine and ancillary supplies prior to the ACIP meeting on October 20-21 so you are aware of your inventory of vaccine and supplies. Please utilize your current inventory prior to ordering additional doses of vaccine, when possible.
- Unused ancillary supplies from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson kits may also be used to administer Moderna boosters as long as CDC Clinical Considerations are maintained.
For future Moderna vaccine orders after CDC and ACIP approval:
- Ancillary kits will include only 1 mL syringes to assure accurate extraction of 0.25mL of booster doses. New orders of Moderna will include sufficient ancillary supplies to extract 20 doses of vaccine per vial, the maximum number of times a single vial can be punctured. This ensures that maximum number of doses can be pulled from a single vial.
- Vaccinators will not need to purchase the 1 mL syringes for future orders.
- Do not order early.
- Please wait until after ACIP meets in order to get Moderna vaccine with extra ancillary supplies.
Key Inventory Messages
After 42 weeks of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, enrolled providers have vaccine inventory that has expired or may expire soon. Please check your inventory, dispose of expired vaccine, update vaccine inventory records, and submit vaccine wastage reports.
Check Inventory
- Determining when a vaccine or diluent expires is a critical step in proper storage and handling. Expired vaccines and diluents must be removed immediately from storage units to avoid inadvertently administering them.
- A significant amount of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that is in the field expired in September. Any vial of Johnson & Johnson vaccine that has a date prior to September 23, 2021, has now expired. There will be no more extensions. Look up Johnson & Johnson vaccine expiration dates here.
- Look up Moderna vaccine expiration dates here. Please note that 78 lots of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine recently received a two-month shelf life extension from the FDA.
- The COVID-19 Vaccine Lot Number report, available via CDC’s Vaccine Code Set Management Service, can help identify expired inventory. The report is updated daily with COVID-19 vaccine lot numbers and expiration dates provided to CDC by vaccine manufacturers.
- Update vaccine inventory daily in the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) and update Vaccines.gov with your current vaccine counts.
Submit Vaccine Wastage Reports
- Waste is expected in any vaccination program. As time passes and administration of vaccine doses increase, the reported levels of waste will also increase. The reporting of wastage does not reflect negatively on a program.
In-depth guidance can be found in the Identification, Disposal, and Reporting of COVID-19 Vaccine Wastage operational summary.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Expiration Dates
Please review all Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine inventory in the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR). Vaccine showing an expiration date of December 31, 2069 needs to be changed to the correct expiration date. Use the following links to look up the correct expiration dates.
Lots with no remaining inventory do not need to be updated in WIR. Please make these inventory corrections by Wednesday, October 20. Thank you for helping to keep Wisconsin’s supply of vaccine current and accurate.
Coadministration of Influenza, COVID-19, and Other Routine Vaccines
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, annual influenza vaccination is critical not only to help prevent flu and serious related complications, but also to prevent additional strain on the US healthcare system. COVID-19 vaccines may be given at the same time as other vaccines, including influenza vaccines, as recommended by CDC and ACIP.
Register now for a webinar on this topic hosted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). The webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 19, at 3:00 p.m. CST and is free, but pre-registration is required.
Key Points on Coadministration of Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccines
The following is a quick list of the CDC key points for messaging around coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
- If a patient is eligible, both influenza and COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same visit, as recommended by CDC and its ACIP.
- In addition to influenza vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine can be given with other vaccines. Even though vaccines can be given at the same visit, vaccinators should follow the recommended schedule for either vaccine. If an individual has not received a COVID-19 vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine should be prioritized, and the influenza vaccine should be recommended by the end of October.
- While limited data exist on giving COVID-19 vaccines with other vaccines, including influenza vaccines, experience with giving other vaccines together has shown the way our bodies develop protection and possible side effects are generally similar whether vaccines are given alone or with other vaccines.
- Giving all vaccines for which an individual is eligible at the same visit is considered a best practice as it increases the probability that individual will be up-to-date on recommended vaccines. It also is an important part of immunization practice, especially if a health care provider is uncertain that a patient will return for additional doses of vaccine.
- CDC has extensive guidance for health care providers on coadministration of vaccines.
- When administering COVID-19 and influenza vaccines during the same clinical visit, two different injection sites should be used, at least one inch apart from each other.
- If COVID-19 vaccines are administered at the same time as influenza vaccines, which might be more likely to cause a local injection site reaction (for example, adjuvanted or high-dose inactivated influenza vaccines), the two should be administered in different limbs, if possible.
- Both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines have been shown to reduce illness, hospitalizations, and deaths from these viruses.
- Patients with concerns about getting both vaccines at the same time should speak with a health care provider.
DHS Releases Updated Downloadable Sub-County Geography Data
DHS has released updated GIS historical data by sub-county geographies for public viewing and download. The data uses updated date fields, which are not affected by data quality assurance.
Updated data for the following sub-county geographies are now available for download:
In May of 2021, DHS improved the way we reported daily cases and deaths and began utilizing a new historical data file. The new historical data file allowed corrections due to quality assurance to be counted on the date when a case or death was first reported, rather than affecting the current daily count of cases or deaths. At this time, many visualizations were updated to utilize the new historical data file, including state and county GIS historical file downloads. Now, implementation of the new historical data file is applicable across all GIS historical data downloads, including sub-county geographies.
The old historical data file will be retired on October 26, 2021.
DHS Relaunches Community Testing Program to Increase COVID-19 Testing Capacity
On October 6, DHS relaunched the Testing Pilot Program, now referred to as the Community Testing Support Program, to support organizations across the state in offering local, convenient COVID-19 testing.
The Community Testing Support will provide approved applicants with:
- Free testing supplies and courier services through contracted vendors
- Reimbursement for specimen collection. Each sample collection is reimbursed at a rate of $20, including results communication for testing conducted
Local and tribal health departments (LTHDs), health partners, and entities connected to a physician or LTHD willing to provide oversight are encouraged to apply. New applicants can find information about the program as well as how to apply on the DHS Community Testing Support Program web page. Applications will be accepted as of October 6, 2021, and the deadline to apply is December 15, 2021. The anticipated program end date is June 30, 2022.
Please send any questions or concerns to dhscovidtestingprogram@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
In Case You Missed It
Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine Program Webinar Schedule
Weekly COVID-19 Vaccine Program updates are held on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Register for the meeting series here. Watch recordings of past webinars here.
Note: The current meeting series will end on October 26. The new series will start the following week, on November 2. After October 26, you will need to re-register for this webinar using the new link that will be provided in future communications.
DHS Announces New Texting Feature to Notify COVID-19 Close Contacts
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced technology enhancements so that people who have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 can be sent a text or email notifying them of their exposure to COVID-19. This new feature is another way to share important educational information with close contacts in a timely fashion. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will continue to receive a phone call from a contact tracer.
Contact tracers will gather and input information about close contacts shared by the positive individual over the phone. Based on the information provided, the contact tracer can send an automatic text or email message out to the close contacts.
- The text will be sent from 1-844-939-2782.
- The text message will read: Health alert: You have been identified as a close contact to someone infected with COVID-19. Follow this link for more information https://wedss.wisconsin.gov/self-reporting/#/form/abR_R-PgQMC78gbifjr-EQ. Education for close contacts https://wedss.wisconsin.gov/self-reporting/content/education_for_close_contacts.pdf.
- When clicking on either link, you will be brought to a secure Wisconsin Division of Public Health or Wisconsin Department of Health Services branded page.
- The form will never ask you for credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or your Social Security number. Here are some things it will ask you for:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your address
- Your phone
- Your email
- Your gender
- Your race/ethnicity
- Whether you have any symptoms of COVID-19
- The only things that are required in the form are date of birth, city, and state. If people are not comfortable adding the other info, they do not need to.
Individuals without access to a cell phone with texting or to an email may still receive a phone call.
This close contact texting and email notification system can be used by the DHS COVID-19 Contact Tracing Team and Wisconsin’s Local and Tribal Health Departments. It is different from the Wisconsin Exposure Notification app, which exchanges anonymous signals with other phones that are near it for at least 15 minutes and allows people who test positive to send an alert to other nearby phones. Together, both tools will help notify a greater number of close contacts and provide education and next steps for staying safe.
DHS asks that you talk with your patients and community about this new text and email notification process and reinforce that this is a safe message folks can trust. Encourage them to answer the phone when their LTHD calls, and if identified as a close contact, to click on the links and take time to read through the education and learn about their risk. Only by understanding quarantine and testing guidance based on our unique situations, are we able to make informed decisions and best protect ourselves and others around us.
For more information on contact tracing and close contacts, visit the DHS COVID-19 Contact Tracing and COVID-19 Close Contacts webpages.
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