Flu Vaccine is Available to Order!

Starting Monday, August 21st, flu vaccine will be available to order in the IIS!

Our flu allocation has reached a level that allows us to open flu vaccine ordering. As in the past, expect adjustments to orders early on to accommodate availability for all providers. Please try to schedule larger flu clinics for late September or early October when we anticipate greater supply availability.

This season we are not requiring providers to utilize the multi-dose vial (MDV). We ordered only a small amount of the MDV for those clinics that indicated a need for storage capacity. We also do not receive the same amount of product for each vaccine at the same time.

Below is the vaccine we currently have available. Please remember this vaccine is for approximately 1000 providers. Flu vaccines order sets in the IIS should be available by the end of the week.

Vaccines for use in 6 months thru 18 years:

• Flulaval PFS
• Fluzone PFS
• Flucelvax PFS

Vaccines for use in 2 thru 18 years:

•  FluMist

Vaccines for use in 3 thru 18 years:

•  Fluzone MDV

Continue to look for further information in the Vaccine Blurbs communication. If you do not receive the bi-weekly Vaccine Blurbs please contact us at WAChildhoodVaccines@doh.wa.gov.

Monthly Ordering Starts Sept. 1st

Based on feedback from providers, we are changing vaccine ordering schedules to allow all enrolled providers to order monthly. Providers will be assigned an ordering period for the first half of the month (1^st-15^th) or second half of the month (16^th – end of the month). Ordering schedules can be viewed in the IIS on the Create/View Order page. There is still a bug in the IIS that may not display the schedule correctly at this time, but we expect this to be fixed in an upcoming upgrade. 

Remember to keep your storage capabilities in mind when placing an order and be sure not to order more than you can store. Additionally, you are not required to place an order each month if you are not in need of vaccine.

CVP Training Series This Thursday

Be sure to join us this Thursday, August 17th, 2023 for the next session in our monthly Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP) Training Series. This month's topic includes an update on COVID commercialization, a review of the vaccine returns and replacement process, and how to handle short-dated vaccines and vaccine accountability. We look forward to sharing more with you on Thursday.

Date: August 17, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm (noon)

Topics: COVID Commercialization Updates, Vaccine Returns/Replacements, Short-Dated Vaccines and Vaccine Accountability

Intended Audience: Providers and Vaccine Coordinators

• Join the Training Session
• Meeting ID: 813 0008 5365
• Passcode: 234944

Prepare Now for the COVID Transition

COVID-19 Commercialization Code Changes

During the COVID-19 Program the following code pairings were recommended for COVID-19 administrations: Dose Eligibility V01 and Funding Source VXC50. For any remaining COVID-19 Program vaccine, staff will continue to use the V01/VXC50 eligibility/funding pairing.

 Any COVID-19 Vaccine purchased after August 3, 2023, shall follow the funding structure below. We recommend vaccine clinic staff reach out to their EHR and IT support teams to be sure any system updates needed to support these changes are identified.

Federally funded COVID-19 vaccines not distributed through typical private and public channels:

• Bridge Vaccine – Dose Eligibility V23 and Funding Source VXC50
• Pharmacy Program – Dose Eligibility V01 and Funding Source VXC50 or VXC52

Patient eligibility and funding codes shall align with the state eligibility guide for all other COVID-19 vaccines.

• Public Supplied VFC vaccine (state supplied VFC vaccine) – Dose Eligibility V02, V03, V04, and V05; Funding Source VXC51.
• Public Supplied Non-VFC vaccine (state supplied vaccines provided to CHIP and/or privately insured children) – Dose Eligibility V22 or V25; Funding Source VXC52.
• Public Supplied AVP vaccine – Dose Eligibility V23; Funding Source VXC52.
• Private Purchase vaccine (vaccine purchased outside of these programs) – Dose Eligibility V01 and V24; Funding Source PHC70 . 

Transition to PCV-20 on September 1st

Providers who currently order Pfizer's Prevnar-13 (PCV-13) product will transition to Prevnar-20 (PCV-20) on September 1st, 2023. Please utilize existing inventory before using PCV-20 to avoid unnecessary waste of PCV-13. The program will be monitoring orders of PCV-20 to prevent waste of PCV-13.

Providers who currently receive Merck's PCV-15 product and want to switch brands will need to wait until Vaccine Choice opens again in October.

Are You Planning Back to School Clinics?

Please share with us your plans around back to school vaccination clinics through a short survey. Keep in mind, offsite/mobile clinics require approval prior to the clinic.   You can find more information in the Off Site Clinic Guidelines. 

We hope to share upcoming vaccine events on the new Childhood Vaccine Clinic Events webpage which will be updated weekly with any events shared through the survey above. Keep on sharing your hard work so we can help get the word out!

WAIIS Vaccination Summary Issue

There is currently a bug in the WA Immunization Information System that is causing only the first vaccine listed in a combination vaccine (e.g,. Pediarix, Pentacel, Vaxelis, Twinrix, etc.) to display on the Vaccination Summary page. The bug doesn’t affect the WAIIS forecast—vaccines that are due are still showing up accurately on the forecast when appropriate. We have reported the issue to our software vendor to address and will provide an update when the issue is resolved. For questions about the forecast, please send an email to immunenurses@doh.wa.gov.

Nirsevimab (Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s Beyfortus™)

ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) voted in August to recommend nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease for babies (agenda and slides). The Committee also voted for the inclusion of nirsevimab in the VFC (Vaccines for Children) program. Here are the recommendations:

• Infants aged <8 months born during or entering their first RSV reason are recommended to receive one dose of nirsevimab (50 mg for infants <5 kg and 100 mg for infants ≥5kg)  
• Children aged 8-19 months who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease and entering their second RSV season are recommended to receive one dose of nirsevimab (200 mg) 

There are many steps involved prior to implementation, including the preparation of the WA Immunization Information System, scope of practice development, and publication of the final recommendations in the MMWR. More details will be provided from our office as soon as they are available.

Webinar opportunities

• Recording: Clinical Vaccination Guidance for Pregnant People
• Childhood and Adult Pneumococcal Recommendations August 23, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (ET)
• New RSV Vaccines for Adults: General Information and Clinical Guidance August 30, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Other immunization webinar opportunities can be found on the DOH Immunization Training webpage.

ACOG educational resources on maternal immunization

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has a variety of educational resources, including effective tools for sharing accessible, evidence-based information on COVID-19, Tdap, influenza vaccination during pregnancy, HPV, mpox, and other adult vaccines.

• Infographics (9 in English, 4 in Spanish)
• FAQ web pages (all 7 in English)
• Expert views (8 for adults, 1 for teens)
• Videos (4 in English, 1 in Spanish)

Immunize.org resources to help you implement CDC’s universal adult hepatitis B screening and vaccination recommendations

There are two new clinical resources to help healthcare providers implement CDC’s universal adult hepatitis B screening and vaccination recommendations. The one-page document highlights the basics of steps every adult can take to protect themselves from liver disease and cancer. The second clinical resource helps clinical staff prepare to implement both screening and vaccination programs. New handouts include:

• Hepatitis B Vaccination and Screening of Adults: Simple Steps to Protect Yourself from Serious Liver Disease
• Implementing Hepatitis B Universal Adult Screening and Vaccination: Clinical Answers for Healthcare Professionals

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.

Reminder: prior to vaccine transfer request, please make sure that all accountability reports for both the receiving and submitting clinics are up to date.