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Bridge Program and COVID-19 Commercialization

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.

Updated CDC Guidance for Community Settings

Updated CDC Guidance for Community Settings

Earlier this week, the CDC updated the respiratory virus guidance and suggested additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older. 

The recommendations in this guidance may help reduce spread of respiratory illness such as RSV, influenza, and others.

  • People in community settings with respiratory symptoms should stay home until symptoms improve and they are fever-free for 24 hours and take transmission-based precautions for five days after leaving home.
  • People aged 65 years and older currently make up the majority (70%) of those hospitalized with COVID-19. They are now eligible for an additional dose of vaccine, provided it has been at least four months since the last dose. 
  • Individuals of all ages should receive at least one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine this season. 

This recommendation provides specific guidance for non-healthcare congregate settings, such as confinement facilities and shelters. Isolation and exposure recommendations for healthcare settings, including acute, post-acute, and outpatient settings have not changed.    

For any questions, email vaccines@phila.gov. 

New Refrigerated Pfizer 12+ COVID-19 Vaccine

New Refrigerated Pfizer 12+ COVID-19 Vaccine

A new presentation of Comirnity (Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12+ year olds) (NDC 00069-2377-10) is now available to order. 

The new presentation:

  • is a carton of 10 prefilled syringes.
  • is a refrigerated formulation that must be stored between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F). Do not store at ultra-cold or standard freezer temperatures.
  • can be used through the expiration date printed on the carton and syringe labels.

The old presentation of Comirnity (Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12+ year olds) (NDC 00069-2362-10) is no longer available to order through the VFC and Bridge programs.

Before ordering or administering the new product, ensure that Comirnity (Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12+ year olds) (NDC 00069-2377-10) has been added to your electronic medical record (EMR) so that administered doses are reported to the PhilaVax IIS.

See below for a picture of the new vaccine presentation.  The carton includes a bright pink stripe with the words “DO NOT FREEZE.”

Continue to use any doses of the old Pfizer 12+ vaccine (NDC 00069-2362-10) on hand until it is consumed, expired, or has been stored at 2°C to 8°C for longer than the allowable 10 weeks.  

Your site may have both presentations on hand for a period of time. If this occurs, please ensure that doses are clearly labeled and stored appropriately to prevent potential errors.

Vaccine Shipment Delays During the December Holiday

Vaccine Shipment Delays During the December Holiday

Submit orders by Friday, December 8!

During the holiday season – from mid-December to early January – the distribution center that ships vaccine provided through the Vaccines for Children (VFC), Vaccines for Adults at Risk (VFAAR), and Bridge Access programs will have reduced shipping capacity. Orders submitted during this time will take longer than usual to ship.

To make sure that you have the vaccines you need during this time, submit orders by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, December 8. These will be processed and shipped out as usual. Be sure to check the status of your order within 2 business days of submitting.

Continue to check for tracking information daily as FedEx and UPS shipping delays continue. Use this job aid to assist you with reviewing this information.

Orders submitted after Friday, December 8 may not be delivered until the week of January 2, at the earliest. The distribution center will return to normal operations on January 2.

For assistance with completing your reconciliation or submitting your order, email our team at DPHProviderhelp@phila.gov.

Deauthorized COVID-19 Products

Deauthorized COVID-19 Products

As a reminder, only the approved 2023 – 2024 COVID-19 products listed below may be administered at this time:

Authorized 2023 – 2024 Products
Formulation: Monovalent XBB.1.5

  • Pfizer 12+: NDC 00069-2362-10
  • Pfizer 5-11: NDC 59267-4331-02
  • Pfizer 6mo-4yrs: NDC 59267-4315-02
  • Moderna 12+: NDC 8077-0102-95
  • Moderna 6mo-11yrs: NDC 8077-0287-92
  • Novavax 12+: NDC 80631-0105-02

Previously authorized monovalent and bivalent COVID-19 products have been deauthorized since September 12, 2023 and should have been removed from your inventory. If any patients were vaccinated with deauthorized products after September 12, they should be re-vaccinated with one of the 2023 – 2024 products. 

Here is a visual of all deauthorized products for your reference. For general questions on COVID-19 vaccine, email covidproviders@phila.gov.

Additionally, if you are interested in providing COVID-19 vaccine to underinsured and uninsured adults and have not yet enrolled in the Bridge Access Program, please reach out to Bridge Coordinator, nyandra.mcfadden@phila.gov to begin enrollment.

Dosing of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula)

Dosing of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula)

FDA released important information to ensure correct administration of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (2023-2024 formula) for individuals 6 months through 11 years.  

The announcement states that providers who administer Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (2023-2024 formula) to individuals ages 6 months through 11 years should ensure that the correct volume of the vaccine (0.25 mL) is withdrawn from the vial and administered to the patient. 

Providers should discard the vial and excess volume after extracting a single 0.25mL dose. Excess volume should not be used to administer an additional dose. Additionally, never combine partial doses from multiple vials to make one dose for a patient.

FDA shared this information after learning some providers may not recognize that the single dose vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (2023-2024 formula) contains more than 0.25 mL of the vaccine and may be withdrawing the entire contents of the vial to administer. FDA has not identified any safety risks associated with administration of the higher dose in individuals 6 months through 11 years of age, and no serious adverse events related to this issue have been identified.  

For additional information, see the FDA announcement, updated Moderna fact sheet, and the vaccine administration resources listed at the end of this email.

If you have any questions, please email vaccines@phila.gov.   

2023-2024 Novavax Now Available to Order

2023-2024 Novavax Now Available to Order

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, adjuvanted (2023-2024 formula) is now available to order. 2023-2024Novavax is authorized for individuals 12 years and older. 

This product package contains two multi dose vials each containing five doses. The NDC for this product is NDC # 80631-0105-02. 

It can be ordered through PhilaVax following the same steps used to order all other 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine products.  Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Bridge Access Program (BAP) providers can order Novavax for eligible patients. 

As a reminder, your practice can now: 

1) Order COVID-19 vaccine through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program

2) Order COVID-19 vaccine for privately insured adults, and 

3) Enroll in the Bridge Access Program (BAP) to procure COVID-19 vaccine for uninsured or underinsured adults. BAP vaccines can only be used for uninsured and underinsured patients aged 18 and up. 

When possible, VFC providers should vaccinate eligible 18-year-olds with VFC vaccine before using BAP vaccine. 

This new blog post highlights important changes in this new period of COVID-19 vaccination, including:

  • The Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 program has formally ended.
  • Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use.
  • The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approved the use of updated (monovalent) COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Providers can order the updated COVID-19 vaccine for privately insured patients by directly contacting the manufacturers for each product (see below for more information). 
  • With the exception of certain specialty providers, all Vaccines for Children (VFC) providers are required to stock COVID-19 vaccine inventory for both privately/CHIP insured patients and VFC eligible patients.  
  • Philadelphia vaccine providers are encouraged to enroll in the Bridge Access Program to provide updated COVID-19 vaccines for uninsured or underinsured adults 18 years and older. 
Read the blog post!

If you have any questions about ordering COVID-19 vaccine, contact dphproviderhelp@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

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.