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Author: Rishi Sharma

2024 PIC Conference

2024 PIC Conference

Save the date! Join us for the Philadelphia Immunization Coalition’s Fall 2024 Conference.

Our speakers will include Dr. Andrew Kroger (CDC) and Dr. Paul Offit (CHOP), among others to be announced.

Topics covered will include COVID-19, RSV, flu, universal recommendations for
community outreach, vaccine hesitancy, PDPH updates, and more.  

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Penn State College of Medicine and Philadelphia Immunization Coalition. Penn State College of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Penn State College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Registration will be opening mid-August, and a link will be shared in an upcoming email.

Tickets will be $40 and include breakfast, all day coffee, and a wonderful hot lunch.  

Hope to see you there!

Event Details

  • When: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
  • Time: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  • Where: College of Physicians at 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Reach out to angel.brice@phila.gov with any questions.  

Quick Links

Join Us for a COVID-19 Product Update

Join Us for a COVID-19 Product Update

Join the PDPH Immunization Program and our pharmaceutical partners for a virtual townhall regarding the 2024 – 2025 COVID-19 product update.

This informative session is for both pediatric and adult primary care providers (PCPs) who would like to learn more about the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine season and what products to expect.

Meeting details:

Date: Friday, September 13, 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m – 1:30 p.m 

RSVP for the Meeting

2024 -2025 VFC & VFAAR Flu Products

2024 -2025 VFC & VFAAR Flu Products

2024-2025 VFC & VFAAR products will be available to order soon. Make sure your office is ready! 

  • Flulaval will be available to order for your VFC-eligible patients starting Tuesday, August 20, 2024. 
  • Start the conversation about the importance of flu vaccination with free print materials for your office. Use the button below to order. 
  • Ensure your EHR/EMR is set up to report this year’s flu products. 
Order Free Flu Materials

See below for the vaccines available this year:  

VFC Products Available for the 2024 – 2025 Flu Season

*A limited supply of Flucelvax is available to order for your VFC eligible patients who have egg allergies or requests an egg-free flu vaccine.

VFAAR Products Available for the 2024 – 2025 Season

*A limited supply of Flucelvax is available to order for your VFC eligible patients who have egg allergies or requests an egg-free flu vaccine.

Visit the flu page on our website for more information on what vaccines are available this season and to get access to flu resources and free print materials. 

Lunch & Learn: Respiratory Viruses

Lunch & Learn: Respiratory Viruses

Join us for an informative virtual session on respiratory viruses.

This session is for both pediatric and adult primary care physicians (PCPs) who would like to learn more about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu), COVID-19, and what to know and expect for this upcoming respiratory season. 

Infectious disease expert Dr. Massya Abuali will give an educational overview of these respiratory viruses, and the VFC team will provide programmatic updates.

Meeting Details: 

  • Date: Friday, September 6, 2024
  • Time: 12:00 p.m – 1:00 p.m
Register for the Meeting!

Vaccine Product Available Through VFC: Jynneos

Vaccine Product Available Through VFC: Jynneos

Jynneos (Bavarian Nordic) vaccine is now available through the VFC program. It has been approved and recommended by the CDC and ACIP to prevent mpox (formerly monkeypox).

VFC-eligible patients, 18 years of age only, can be vaccinated with these doses. Patients younger than 18 are not eligible for vaccination with the mpox vaccine provided through the VFC program. Any eligible patient who feels at risk of coming into contact with mpox can be vaccinated. They do not need to meet any further eligibility criteria.

Jynneos is supplied in a 10-pack box of 1 dose vials.
NCD: 50632-0001-03
CVX: 206
CPT: 90611

To add Jynneos to the list of vaccines that your site orders, use the button below to complete a change request form.

Product Change Form

To access doses for patients not eligible for vaccine through the VFC program, reach out to our mpox coordinator, Marguerite Horton, at marguerite.horton@phila.gov.  

Resources

2023-2024 Pfizer (5 yrs-11 yrs and 12+) COVID-19 Vaccines No Longer Available 

2023-2024 Pfizer (5 yrs-11 yrs and 12+) COVID-19 Vaccines No Longer Available 

As of Monday, June 10, 2024, the Pfizer 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, 5 yrs – 11 yrs, and Comirnaty (Pfizer), 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, 12 yrs + products are no longer available to order through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Bridge Access Programs.  

Continue to order and administer 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines until they reach their beyond use date (BUD), expire, or new product becomes available. We’ve seen summer peaks in past years, so individuals aged 6 months and above who have not received a dose should continue to be vaccinated.  

See below for details on the availability of the different products. If your preferred product is no longer available, change to an alternate product and continue to offer and administer COVID-19 vaccine to patients.

Dosing Schedule: 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine 

For more details, review the CDC’s Interim 2023-2024 COVID-19 Immunization Schedule for Persons 6 Months of Age and Older.

Available Products (updated 6/10/2024): 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine

Upcoming Changes in COVID-19 Vaccine Product Availability

CDC anticipates upcoming changes in the availability of COVID-19 vaccine products.

Here’s what we know now about the upcoming changes in 2023-2024 COVID-19 product availability:

  • The latest expiration date for the Pfizer (6 mo – 4 yrs) product is 7/31/2024.
  • Moderna (6 mo – 11 yrs and 12+) product has expiration dates through late September.

Be sure to check expiration dates before administering any vaccine.  

Other Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Product Expiration

  • The expiration dates indicated above are the latest 2023-2024 expiry. Your office may have vaccine products that expire sooner.
  • The beyond use date (BUD) supersedes the manufacturer’s expiration date. 

We will send additional messages to remind you about these expiration dates as they occur, provide guidance for inventory management, and inform you of other product updates as we are notified.

If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccine availability, please reach out.

For VFC, email Victor Obeck at victor.obeck@phila.gov.

For the Bridge Access Program, email Nyandra McFadden at nyandra.mcfadden@phila.gov.

Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Now Expired!

Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Now Expired!

Read on for more upcoming changes in COVID-19 product availability.

As of Friday, May 31, 2024 all doses of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine have expired. 

  • Remove any remaining doses from your storage units at this time.
  • Use this guide to waste any opened vaccine. 
  • Use this guide to return unopened vaccine.

See below for details on the availability of different products. If your preferred product is no longer available, change to an alternate product and continue to offer and administer COVID-19 vaccine to patients. 

Dosing Schedule: 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine

For more details, review the CDC’s Interim 2023-2024 COVID-19 Immunization Schedule for Persons 6 Months of Age and Older.

Available Products (updated 6/3/2024): 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine

Upcoming Changes in COVID-19 Vaccine Product Availability

CDC anticipates upcoming changes in the availability of COVID-19 vaccine products.

Here’s what we know now about the upcoming changes in product availability:

  • The latest expiration dates of the 2023-24 COVID-19 season NovaVax and Pfizer products are:
    • Novavax: 5/31/2024
    • Pfizer (6 mo – 4 yrs):  7/31/2024
    • Pfizer (5 yrs – 11 yrs and 12+): 8/31/2024
  • Moderna (6 mo – 11 yrs and 12+) products have expiration dates through late September

Be sure to check expiration dates before administering any vaccine.  

Other Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Product Expiration

  • The expiration dates indicated above are the latest 2023-2024 expiry. Your office may have vaccine products that expire sooner.
  • The beyond use date (BUD) supersedes the manufacturer’s expiration date. 

We will send additional messages to remind you about these expiration dates as they occur, provide guidance for inventory management, and inform you of other product updates as we are notified. 

If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccine availability, please reach out.

For VFC, email Victor Obeck at victor.obeck@phila.gov.

For the Bridge Access Program, email Nyandra McFadden at nyandra.mcfadden@phila.gov.

Call for Nominations: 2024 Immunization Champion Award 

Call for Nominations: 2024 Immunization Champion Award 

You can still submit a nomination for the Immunization Champion Award! Your nominations will determine the 2024 Philadelphia Immunization Champion. Check out the eligibility criteria below and acknowledge someone you know who champions local immunization access.

The Immunization Champion Award is a national award program hosted by the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) and honors individuals going above and beyond to foster and/or promote immunization in their communities. 

Access the nomination form below. Once completed, email it to vaccines@phila.gov!

Submit a nominaton!

The nomination deadline has been extended to May 28, 2024. Please share this email with your networks. 

Instructions for Nomination 

Individuals can be recognized for their work in childhood, adolescent, or adult vaccines.

Who is eligible?

  • Healthcare professionals (i.e., pharmacists, physicians, nurses, physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, medical assistants)
  • Nonprofit leaders
  • Community activists
  • Parents
  • School and education leaders
  • Coalition members
  • Community-based organization members
  • Immunization partners

Who is ineligible?

  • Immunization program managers
  • County, state, and federal government employees paid by state or federal immunization funding
  • Individuals who have been affiliated with and/or employed by pharmaceutical companies
  • Individuals who have already received the award
  • Groups – the award is only for individuals 

If you have any questions, please contact info@immunizationmanagers.org. Additional information can also be found here.

2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Update

2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Dosing Schedule & Available Products

Review the dosing schedule and available products for 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine below. We don’t yet know the exact timing of when 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines will be available. However, FDA authorization or approval of 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines is anticipated for Fall 2024. 

Dosing Schedule: 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine

For more details, review the CDC’s Interim 2023-2024 COVID-19 Immunization Schedule for Persons 6 Months of Age and Older.

See the table below for details on the availability of the different products. If your preferred product is no longer available, change to an alternate product to continue offering and administering COVID-19 vaccine to patients. 

Available Products (updated 5/2/24): 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine

Tips for COVID-19 Vaccine Ordering & Administration 

Continue to order and administer 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines until they reach their beyond use date (BUD), expire, or new product becomes available. 

The remaining 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines available for ordering are expected to expire between May and July. It is important to check expiration dates before administering any vaccine. 

We’ve seen summer peaks in COVID-19 cases in past years, so individuals aged 6 months and above who have not received a dose should continue to be vaccinated. 

If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccine availability, please reach out.

For VFC, email Victor Obeck at victor.obeck@phila.gov.

For the Bridge Access Program, email Nyandra McFadden at nyandra.mcfadden@phila.gov.

COVID-19 Vaccine Return Guidance

COVID-19 Vaccine Return Guidance

Unopened vaccines should be returned when:

  •  The manufacturer expiration date has passed.
  •  The vaccines are no longer viable due to out-of-range temperatures.
  •  The vaccine has passed its beyond-use-date (BUD).

When returning COVID-19 vaccines that have passed their beyond-use-date, remember to select Other as the return reason and include “Past BUD [insert the BUD date]” in the comments section. 

Process a return for expired or non-viable vaccines in PhilaVax. Use this guide to assist you in the return process.

Contact dphproviderhelp@phila.gov if you need assistance with completing a return.