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
On December 14, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and the State of Wisconsin marked the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine administered in the state. In one year, more than 6.8 million COVID-19 primary series doses have been administered to more than 3.5 million people.
Since the vaccination program launched in December 2020, the state has mobilized the largest vaccination effort in its history to make available COVID-19 vaccines to all residents. Over the past year, nearly 3,000 total vaccine providers have given COVID-19 vaccinations, including more than 1.2 million booster doses. 67.3% of Wisconsin adults 18 years of age and older have been fully vaccinated, including 82% of Wisconsinites 65 years of age and older, and 86,000 children ages 5-11 years have received their first dose in just six weeks after becoming eligible.
Thank you, Wisconsin vaccinators, for your continued hard work and dedication.
Holiday Vaccine Ordering and Delivery Cadence
No COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered from Thursday, December 23, through Monday, December 27. Normal deliveries will be carried out on Tuesday, December 28, and Wednesday, December 29. Please submit your orders early.
Additionally, no COVID-19 vaccine deliveries will occur Thursday, December 30, through Tuesday, January 4. Deliveries will resume Wednesday, January 5. Please submit your orders early in anticipation of the limited work hours during the holidays.
Vaccination Support Schedule Changes
Vaccination clinic support will be limited beginning December 15
DHS will not be providing resources for vaccination clinics on December 24, December 25, December 31, and January 1. Limited support for vaccination operations will be available on December 23, December 26, December 30, and January 2.
Requests for vaccination support for clinic dates through January 10 should be submitted by 8 a.m. on Monday, December 20, to be considered in the resource allocation process. Requests received after the December 20 deadline will be considered on January 4, 2022. Notifications are expected to occur within 2 business days of the completed review.
Any questions can be directed to DHSCOVIDRequestsSurvey@dhs.wisconsin.gov. The table below summarizes the 2021 holiday schedule for vaccination support resources requests and reviews. Note that this information also appears on the COVID-19 Resource Matching Survey web page.
 Pfizer 6 Hour Label Correction
Labels on the Pfizer Pediatric (orange) vials were printed in the months prior to amendment of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA. In anticipation of approval, the labels were printed, “Discard 6 hours after dilution.” However, the FDA approved the vaccine for discarding 12 hours after dilution. This updated information is printed in the EUA and Fact Sheets as follows:
“After dilution, the vial should be held between 2°C to 25°C (35°F to 77°F). Vials should be discarded 12 hours after dilution. Vial labels and cartons may state that a vial should be discarded 6 hours after the first puncture. The information in this Fact Sheet supersedes the number of hours printed on vial labels and cartons.”
The label will eventually be updated, but please be aware that all orange cap Pfizer pediatric vaccine should be discarded 12 hours after dilution.
COVID-19 Vaccine Program: Weekly Updates
Please note that there will be no COVID-19 Vaccine Program Weekly Updates email bulletin for the next two weeks due to the holidays. This weekly communication will resume on Friday, January 7.
New and Updated Resources
Updated Clinical Guidance from CDC
Updated Communication and Education Resources from CDC
Updated Communication and Education Resources from DHS
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.
There will not be a webinar on Tuesday, December 28 or Tuesday, January 4.
Webinars will resume on a bi-weekly basis on Tuesday, January 11.
DHS Supports FDA Authorization, CDC Recommendation for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose for 16- and 17-year-olds
DHS supports the recommendation that 16- and 17-year-olds receive a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after having received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
After rigorous review of all available data, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Director recommended that 16- and 17-year-olds may receive a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
With this recommendation combined with earlier recommendations, DHS and CDC now recommend a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for everyone 16 and older. View the updated CDC COVID-19 Booster Shots webpage here.
View the full communication here.
Transition to Pfizer Tris Adult Vaccine Formulation
A new formulation of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adults/adolescents will become available for vaccine ordering soon. This formulation will have a gray vial cap and can be administered to individuals 12 years and older.
The minimum order size will be 300 doses and the product does not require diluent. The six-dose vial will have the same dose volume as the current purple cap (0.3mL) and be stable at 2o to 8oC for up to 10 weeks. The product can also be stored at -90o to -60oC for up to six months. If your site previously utilized the Pfizer thermal shipping containers for temporary storage, you must prepare for use of an ULT freezer or refrigerator with the new Pfizer formulation. The new smaller shipping containers used with the gray cap formulation cannot be utilized for storage.
Please use your remaining inventory of Pfizer purple cap product prior to transitioning to the Pfizer gray cap formulation. Continue to leverage the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine Exchange to redistribute Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Sites should ideally only carry one Pfizer adult (12 years and older) formulation at a time. In order to avoid mistakes during this period of transition when both products may be in circulation, the two formulations should not be offered or administered at the same time.
Pfizer Product Overview
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Manufacturer
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NDC Number
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Product Name
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Name
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Configuration
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Notes
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Pfizer
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59267-1000-02
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Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine 195 vial tray
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PBS 1170 (Purple Cap)
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6 dose vial, diluent required
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Pfizer
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59267-1000-03
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Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine 25 vial carton (s)
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PBS 450 (Purple Cap)
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6 dose vial, diluent required
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No longer available
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Pfizer
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59267-1025-04
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Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine 10ct Adult
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Tris Adult (Gray Cap)
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6 dose vial, no diluent
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Available once there is a 28 day supply or less of Pfizer in WI
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Pfizer
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59267-1055-04
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Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine 10ct Pediatric 10 mcg
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Pediatric (Orange Cap)
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10 dose vial, diluent required
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Continuing for age 5-11
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You may reference the following comparison chart of the different Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine formulations for planning purposes:
https://www.cvdvaccine-us.com/images/pdf/Vaccine-Formulation-Presentation-Guide.pdf
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Medical Updates and Immunization Site Training Sessions
Pfizer Vaccines US Medical Affairs, with its partner BioNTech, continues to host daily Medical Updates and Immunization Site Training Sessions for all providers on the storage, handling, and administration for currently available vaccine presentations of its COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to Medical Updates, session topics will include:
- Use of vaccine for:
- Children 5 through 11 Years of Age
- Individuals 12 Years of Age and Older
- Storage, Handling, Preparation, & Administration for the multiple presentations of the vaccine
- Recent medical updates regarding the vaccine
- An overview of healthcare provider resources
- Question and answer session
Sessions will now include information regarding the Pfizer gray cap formulation of the vaccine for individuals 12 years of age and older.
To access current and future training sessions, please visit: https://www.pfizermedicalinformation.com/en-us/medical-updates
These sessions will be updated to reflect new information and changes as they evolve. Such updates will be identified at the start of each session and further explained during each presentation.
Please click on the links below to join the sessions at the designated times.
DHS Awards $8.1 Million in Vaccine Community Outreach Grants, Funds Still Available
DHS announced $8.1 million in grants has been awarded to organizations across the state to promote health equity in COVID-19 vaccination throughout the state. The investment aims to increase vaccinations by supporting organizations to serve as trusted messengers within their communities and reduce barriers that hinder vaccine access for marginalized or underserved populations.
Through funding from the CDC, DHS was able to offer an additional $13 million dollars for the Vaccine Community Outreach (VCO) Grant program, which was originally distributed $6.2 million to organizations in early 2021. Each applicant was required to submit a plan that included the geographic area or target population they serve and a strategy to help overcome barriers to vaccination.
Awardees will use culturally relevant information to engage in outreach to promote vaccine acceptance. See the full list of awardees and brief descriptions of their plan.
Funding is still available for qualifying organizations, and DHS encourages organizations that engage in work to reduce socioeconomic or health inequities to apply, submitting their applications by January 14, 2022. Applicants that demonstrate a commitment to addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and minimizing accessibility issues will be prioritized.
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