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Author: Rishi Sharma

PIC Conference Registration Open Now! 

PIC Conference Registration Open Now! 

Philadelphia Immunization Coalition Fall Conference

We are excited to invite you to join us for the 2023 Fall PIC Conference, at the College of Physicians in Philadelphia. Our speakers include Dr. Andrew Kroger and Dr. Paul Offit, among others to be announced.  Topics covered will include COVID, Infant and Maternal RSV, Community Panel, Hepatitis B, and PDPH Updates.

Check-in begins at 8:30am.

Tickets will be $40 and include breakfast, all day coffee, and a wonderful hot lunch. Continuing education credits will also be provided.

Register ASAP to reserve your spot and reach out with any questions to veronica.alvarez@phila.gov.

Location

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
19 S 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
View on map

Date and Time

Oct 04, 2023 8:30am ET – Oct 04, 2023 3:30pm ET

Register

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 Credit(s). Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Annual Conference Agenda

8:30am-9am: Arrive for Registration and Breakfast

9am-9:40am
PDPH Updates
Amber Tirmal, MPH, PDPH

9:40am-10am
Hepatitis B Updates
Danica Kuncio, MPH, PDPH

10am-10:20am
Community Grantee Updates (Local Community Organizations)

10:20am-10:35am
Break/Exhibitors

10:35am-11:50 am
Influenza/RSV/COVID
Dr. Andrew Kroger, MD, MPH, CDC

12pm- 1pm
Lunch/Exhibitors

1pm-2:15pm
Maternal RSV
Dr. Paul Offit, MD, CHOP

2:15pm-2:30 pm
Break/Exhibitors

2:30pm-3:30pm
Panel: Challenges and Opportunities for Pediatric Vaccination
Charna Blake, BSN, RN
AHS Vaccine Coordinator

Andrea Bailer, MSN, CRNP
CHOP Care Network

Jennifer Rice
Esperanza Health Center, Inc.

Kendra B. McDow MD, MPH, FAAP
School District of Philadelphia

COVID-19 Vaccine Available to Order Through VFC and the Bridge Access Program

COVID-19 Vaccine Available to Order Through VFC and the Bridge Access Program

On September 12, 2023, ACIP approved the use of updated COVID-19 vaccines. The new products are monovalent (single), Omicron variant XBB.1.5. Under the new recommendation, everyone over 6 months is eligible for an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall.

This marks the start of commercialization. VFC sites are now required to stock COVID-19 vaccine, for both your privately/CHIP insured patients and your VFC eligible patients.

Recommendations

  • Everyone ages 5 years and older is recommended to receive 1 dose of a 2023-24 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Children ages 6 months – 4 years should complete a multi-dose initial series (2 doses of Modera or 3 doses of Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine) with at least one dose of the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine.
  • People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should complete a 3 dose initial series with at least one dose of the 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine and may receive 1 or more additional 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine doses.
  • Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended.

Starting, today, Thursday September 14, sites are able to order COVID-19 vaccine for VFC and/or the Bridge Access Program through PhilaVax. View the step-by-step ordering guide.

Available Products

Additional resources

If your site needs assistance placing an order or has questions, please reach out to dphproviderhelp@phila.gov.

To procure vaccine on the private market, please contact your local sales representative:

Thank you for keeping Philadelphia safe and healthy. If you have any general questions, please email vaccines@phila.gov.

Pediatric Pneumococcal Vaccine Updates

Pediatric Pneumococcal Vaccine Updates

As a reminder, Prevnar 20 (PCV20, Pneumococcal 20-valent Conjugant Vaccine; NDC 00005-2000-10) is now available to order for your VFC eligible patients. Prevnar 13 (PCV13) is no longer available to order through the VFC program. Please read our previous advisory on these changes.

To transition from PCV13 to Vaxnuvance (PCV15) or PCV20, providers can either:

  • Continue to use any remaining Prevnar 13 vaccines still on-hand through the expiration date before transiting to PCV15 or PCV20.
  • Return remaining doses of PCV13 after receiving a supply of VFC PCV15 or PCV20. Providers who choose to return PCV13 doses before the expiration date will not be penalized. Instructions on how to return vaccine can be found here. If returning PCV13 before expiration, please indicate “other” for the return reason (see step 6 of the job aid).

If you have clinical questions about Prevnar, please review these resources:

We will continue to provide updates as we get clarification from the CDC.

In you have additional questions, email, Victor Obeck, VFC Coordinator, victor.obeck@phila.gov. 

COVID-19 Program Ends Today

COVID-19 Program Ends Today

Today, Tuesday, September 12, 2023, marks the end of PDPH’s COVID-19 program and the beginning of commercialization.

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are no longer be authorized for use. Any remaining products in your inventory must be immediately discarded.

Use of unauthorized product to vaccinate patients is not allowed. Instead, providers may privately purchase new 2023-2024 COVID-19 products or enroll in the Bridge Access Program to receive vaccine for eligible patients. Ordering for VFC/Bridge Access enrolled providers will open later this week after today’s ACIP meeting.

We want thank you all for your participation in this program helping to vaccinate Philadelphia residents against the COVID-19 virus. We hope that we can continue to work together to protect Philadelphians from vaccine preventable diseases. 

Starting today, you can privately purchase new 2023-2024 COVID-19 products to vaccinate patients with private insurance and enroll in the Bridge Access Program to receive vaccine for eligible patients.

Bridge Access Program

Eligible providers interested in continuing to receive federally funded COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to enroll in the Bridge Access Program. This program ensures the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine to underinsured and uninsured patients 19 years and older. 

Submit a pre-enrollment form today to begin the enrollment process and be among the first providers to offer 2023 – 2024 authorized COVID-19 vaccine to Philadelphia residents.

Bridge Program Pre-enrollment Form

New Vaccine Product Available for VFC/VFAAR

New Vaccine Product Available for VFC/VFAAR

A one-vial presentation of Menveo (MenACYW-135) is now available through the Philadelphia VFC & VFAAR programs. This presentation does not require reconstitution. The Prescribing Information now describes both presentations of Menveo: the current two-vial presentation and a new one-vial presentation. 

One-vial Presentation (NEW) 

  • NDC: 58160-0827-30 
  • For use in individuals 10 years through 55 years of age. 
  • The one-vial presentation contains Menveo in a single vial with a pink cap 
  • This presentation does not require reconstitution. 
  • Available to order for VFC and VFAAR. 

Two-vial Presentation

  • NDC: 58160-0955-09
  • For use in individuals with special medical conditions 2 months through 9 years of age going forward*
  • The two-vial presentation includes a vial with a gray cap containing the MenCYW-135 liquid conjugate component and a vial with an orange cap containing the MenA lyophilized conjugate component. The contents of the vials must be combined to form Menveo prior to administration. 
  • The two-vial presentation is no longer available through VFAAR. 
  • Providers with existing supply of the Menveo 2-vial presentation on hand may continue to administer the vaccine to indicated VFC-eligible patients aged 2 months – 18 years of age. Do not initiate returns of the Menveo 2-vial presentation until the vaccine expires. The Philadelphia VFC Program will not process returns of unexpired Menveo 2-vial vaccine.

*There is a limited supply of the two-vial presentation available through the VFC program. To ensure that vaccine is available for individuals 2 months of age through 9 years of age, plan to only use the two-vial presentation for individuals 2 months through 9 years of age. Order the one-vial presentation for individuals 10 years through 18 years of age. 

CPT/CVX Codes

The CPT and CVX code for the new presentation is the same as the old presentation:  

  • CPT: 90734 
  • CVX: 136

Resources

Sites using the two-vial presentation of Menveo you can now order the one vial presentation. Please make sure the Menveo, one-vial presentation, is added to your EHR before ordering. If you have any issues ordering, please reach out to our coordinators:

Thank you for keeping Philadelphia safe and healthy. If you have any questions, please email vaccines@phila.gov.

Please note, Menveo and Menquadfi are interchangeable. To change the formulation that your site orders, please complete the Change Request Form. Our team will review your request and reply with next steps. We recommend that sites that are part of a system or are affiliated use the same vaccine presentations across sites to ensure continuity of care and help prevent administration errors.

Urgent Update on COVID-19 Program

Urgent Update on COVID-19 Program

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s (PDPH) COVID-19 program is expected to end this Tuesday, 9/12 when full commercialization begins.

Any COVID-19 vaccine in your inventory received from PDPH will no longer be authorized for use. All remaining inventory must be reported as wastage and removed from both your PhilaVax and Vaccine Finder inventories. These doses should then be discarded following the guidelines used by your site.

Additionally, if you received a PDPH Digital Data Logger to monitor your COVID vaccine, we will be in contact to schedule a pick-up of this device.

Reporting of COVID Vaccine

With the commercialization of COVID-19 vaccine, please report the administration of these vaccines with your routine immunization data submissions to the Immunization Information System.

Bridge Access Program

As a reminder enrollment for the Bridge Access Program is live! If your patient population includes underinsured and uninsured individuals 19 years of age and older you may apply for pre-enrollment using the link below!

Bridge Access Program

Thank you!

We want to thank all sites for participating in the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program. Through your hard work and diligent efforts we were able to vaccinate many Philadelphians and bring greater health to our residents.

Private COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement 

Private COVID-19 Vaccine Procurement 

Commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines is occurring next week. VFC Providers are required to match vaccines on the private side. We have created an FAQ to assist providers through this transition. 

Take these steps now to plan which COVID-19 vaccines you will purchase privately: 

  1. Review the anticipated presentations of vaccine products.
  2. Decide which products you plan to carry for your pediatric population. You may need to order more than one product to vaccinate all the children you see who are between 6 months – 18 years of age. You do not need to order multiple products for the same age group. 
  3. Establish relationships with manufacturer(s) for the vaccine products you plan to offer.

Review anticipated presentations of products

Establish relationships with manufacturers

Reach out to these pharmaceutical representatives to prepare your practice to order private stock of COVID-19 vaccine:

Once we have more information about VFC COVID-19 vaccine ordering, we will release resources and trainings to provide further guidance in this process.

New Vaccine Product Available Through VFC: Prevnar 20

New Vaccine Product Available Through VFC: Prevnar 20

On June 27, 2023, the CDC approved Prevnar 20 (PCV20) for use in pediatric patients. Beginning September 6, 2023, this Prevnar 20 is available to order for your VFC eligible patients. The Prevnar 13 (PCV13) is no longer available to order through the VFC program.

Sites using Prevnar 13 can now order Prevnar 20. Please make sure Prevnar 20 is added to your EHR before ordering.

Please note, Vaxneuvance and Prevnar 20 are interchangeable. To change the formulation that your site orders, please complete the Change Request Form. Our team will review your request and reply with next steps. We recommend that sites that are part of a system or are affiliated use the same vaccine presentations across sites to ensure continuity of care and help prevent administration errors.

Vaccine Change Request Form

Prevnar 20

PCV20 is now available through the Vaccines Children (VFC) program.

    • CVX code: 216
    • CPT code: 90677
    • NDC number: 00005-2000-10

For more information on Prevnar 20, review the package insert.

Additional resources:

FDA Prevnar 20 page
Immunize.org’s Ask the Experts 
VIS

Thank you for keeping Philadelphia safe and healthy. If you have any questions, please email vaccines@phila.gov.

 

Recap: RSV Immunization in Outpatient Settings 

Recap: RSV Immunization in Outpatient Settings

Thank you to those who attended the RSV townhall for nirsevimab (Beyfortus) immunization in outpatient settings on Tuesday, August 29! In case you missed it, please review important information below: 

Nirsevimab will be available to order through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program this fall. Here are some answers to relevant clinical questions: 

Do healthy infants need to be under 8 or 9 months at the time of injection?

Healthy infants need to be under 8 months of age at the time of injection.

What about infants who are at increased risk of severe RSV?
Children aged 8–19 months who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease entering their second RSV season should be immunized.

Any recommendations for co-administration of nirsevimab with COVID-19, flu, and routine vaccines?
Co-administration with other vaccines is acceptable.

Is there a patient information brochure to give to parents?
CDC will have an information sheet similar to a VIS which has not yet been released.

Can nirsevimab (Beyfortus) be administered when a child is ill?
It is up to the doctor’s discretion, and dependant on how ill the infant is.

Does an infant that gets palivizumab (Synagis) needs nirsevimab (Beyfortus)?
An infant that qualifies for palivizumab (Synagis) may need to get a dose if nirsevimab (Beyfortus) is unavailable. Once they receive their nirsevimab, they no longer need to get palivizumab.

View the MMWR and package insert here. Email victor.obeck@phila.gov for more information on ordering nirsevimab through the VFC Program. 

Integrating RSV Immunization into EHR Systems

Integrating RSV Immunization into EHR Systems

RSV immunization will be available to order through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program this fall. This newly approved monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab (Beyfortus), will be used to protect newborns and infants born during or entering their first RSV season.

As your facility will likely administer this immunization, we are providing instructions for adding nirsevimab to your EHR system.

Please add nirsevimab to your EHR system. There are two versions of nirsevimab to account for two different doses. See the specifications below. The differences between the two are highlighted in green: 

Nirsevimab (Beyfortus) must be reported to PhilaVax in the same way as any other immunization. To accurately report eligibility and funding sources, HL7 messages for nirsevimab administration should adhere to the standard rules for VFC eligibility or ineligibility. 

If you are interested, you may work with PhilaVax staff individually to test nirsevimab HL7 messages and ensure complete reporting. To express interest in assistance with this process or for any questions, contact the immunization information system (IIS) interoperability coordinator at beweh.willor@phila.gov. 

Please forward this email to any additional contacts who need this information. If you are not the correct person to receive this email, reach out to beweh.willor@phila.gov with the correct contact information.