COVID-19 Vaccine

Shelf Life Extensions on Moderna and Pfizer Products

Expiration dates of the following monovalent Moderna 10 products have been extended:

Moderna has verified the new expiration dates above and updated the Moderna Vial Expiration Checker.Additionally, Pfizer will be sending out short dated products and advises to hold on to products expiring soon in anticipation of a shelf life extension. If you have Pfizer vaccine products expiring soon set these aside and label them as “Do Not Use” until further information is received. This extension will be in reference to expiration dates only. BUD labels should still be monitored and disposed of once no longer viable.

COVID Vaccine Ordering Holiday Schedule

COVID vaccine deliveries will be paused between December 19th and December 23rd for the holidays. All orders must be placed by Wednesday, December 7th at 5pm to receive them before December 19th. Any orders placed after December 7th will not be delivered until the 28th.

Updates to Pfizer Ordering Quantity

The minimum ordering quantity of monovalent and bivalent Pfizer for ages 12 and up has been reduced from 300 doses to 180 doses in PhilaVax. Monday.com ordering quantities have also been updated to reflect this. Orders exceeding 20 vials of these vaccines should be placed through PhilaVax instead of Monday.com.

Storage & Handling Checkup: Temperature Monitoring

Vaccines are temperature sensitive and must be stored in specific temperature ranges to preserve their viability. Vaccines that are exposed to out of range temperatures can lose potency, and people vaccinated with these vaccines will not get the protection they need.

To ensure that every dose of vaccine that is administered at your site is viable, it is critical to monitor unit temperatures in two ways:

Digital Data Logger (DDL) – records temperatures, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Why? This provides documentation that every dose in your unit has been stored at the right temperature from the time you received it until it is administered to a patient.
Paper Temperature Logs – records twice daily temperature checks.
- Why? This provides a chance to visually check the unit and ensure that the temperatures have not been out out range.

Check Up: Review, Evaluate, and Update!

Make sure that your clinic is recording, reporting and documenting your temperate data the right way.

1. Download and submit your DDL data and send it to our team every 28 days, when ordering vaccine or experiencing a temperature excursion.

2. Fill out the paper temperature log twice each clinic day. When filling out the paper log, always use the DDL as your reference.

Make sure you have the most up-to-date logs:Fridge Temperature Log (Fahrenheit)Freezer Temperature Log (Fahrenheit)Fridge Temperature Log (Celsius)Freezer Temperature Log (Celsius)3. Keep your paper and DDL (electronic) temperature logs on file for 3 years for VFC and VFAAR providers and for 7 years for COVID providers. Our team will review your paper temperature logs during the next site visit to your clinic.

All of our Storage and Handling resources can be accessed here.

Have questions? Reach out to our team at TempCheck@phila.gov for assistance.

Limited Single Dose Vials of Pfizer Bivalent Becoming Available

On Monday, November 14 through Tuesday, November 15, PDPH will open pre-ordering in Philavax for a limited amount of the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 12 years of age or older in single-dose vials. Deliveries will begin several days later. Single dose vials will not be available for ordering through Monday.com – partial ordering – or pickup.This limited rollout is intended to expand the number of locations that offer the updated vaccine. Only sites that would otherwise not be able to utilize the standard six-dose per vial bivalent Pfizer will be approved to order single dose vials. Large health systems and sites with regular patient volumes/throughput should continue to order the six-dose per vial bivalent Pfizer.Ancillary kits will not be distributed with orders of single-dose vials. Single-dose vials do not require the use of low-dead-volume (LDV) syringes.Quick Facts:Single-Dose Vial Pfizer Bivalent Booster (Ages 12+)• NDC: 59267-1404-02• Configuration: 10 single-dose vials/carton• Minimum quantity per order: 50 doses• Maximum quantity per order: 150 doses• Product dimensions: 1.457 in length × 1.535 in width × 3.504 in height• Storage and handling: Same as other Pfizer tris products (e.g., store at ultra-low temperature until expiry, may refrigerate up to 10 weeks within expiry period)• No ancillary kits included with single-dose vial orders

Moderna Shelf Life Extension

FDA has approved a shelf-life extension for the following Moderna10 products, which have been extended by three months. Below, find a table with updated expiration dates for the specific lots impacted by the extension. For the most current information, please visit the Moderna website.

With the Moderna Vial Expiration Checker, Moderna also allows vaccine providers to look up expiration dates by lot number, which includes the new expiration dates listed above. To find the expiration date, locate the lot number printed on the carton and/or vial and enter it into the lot number search field on the website, then press “submit.”

For additional information, view the CDC overview of Moderna vaccine.

Matchmaking Program Coming to an End

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Matchmaking Program would like to send a huge thank you for your time, commitment, and expertise you’ve given in partnering with vaccination clinics to provide vaccine. After careful consideration, we have determined to end the program effective November 4, 2022. 57 vaccination clinics were successfully matched for the duration of PDPH’s COVID-19 Matchmaking Program, and 77 providers were enrolled. These vaccinations clinics included community-based clinics, health fairs, and cultural events to name a few!If patients are looking to get vaccinated at their earliest convenience, you may direct them to use this link to find a facility in close proximity to them. Again, we thank you for your contributions and efforts to partner with vaccinations clinics to serve vaccine. You have made an immense difference through your dedication and continued support!

Temperature Reporting for Online Vaccine Ordering

Temperature Reporting for Online Vaccine Ordering

Temperature logs must be submitted on the same day as any order placed for federal vaccine (VFC, VFAAR, flu, COVID-19, or monkeypox)!

Temperature logs are to be uploaded in PhilaVax and emailed to tempcheck@phila.gov. The logs must show that the unit is within the appropriate temperature ranges and that there have been no alarms. This reporting guide can assist you in submitting your DDL temperature files.

For more information on ordering and how to upload your temperature log, please attend the next online ordering training on November 10, 2022 from 10:00AM – 11:00AM EST. Click the link below to register for the training.

Register: Online Ordering Training

If your site uses a privately purchased DDL or cannot upload in PhilaVax, please contact tempcheck@phila.gov.

Thank you for keeping Philadelphia safe and healthy!

Updated COVID-19 Booster Recommendations for Children Five Years and Older

Today, CDC’s Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky released a statement and signed a decision memo recommending updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters for children five years and older.FDA amended the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent to authorize their use as a single booster dose in younger age groups.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for administration at least two months following completion of primary or booster vaccination in children down to six years of age.
- Please be aware the injection dose volume changes with age. Review the new EUA for guidance.
- Be sure to select the correct intent when ordering in Philavax to ensure you get the correct ancillary kits – pediatric vs adult.
- This product is already out in the field and you may begin administering to the pediatric population today. NDC: 80777-0282-99
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for administration at least two months following completion of primary or booster vaccination in children down to five years of age.
- Deliveries for pre-orders will begin on Monday. Any order placed after 9/28, the pre-ordering deadline, will be delivered the following weeks after the pre-orders arrive.
- NDC: 59267-0565-02

With today’s authorization, the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer authorized as a booster dose for individuals five through 11 years of age. Both the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine continue to be authorized for primary series administration in individuals six months of age and older.

Pediatric Pfizer (5-11 yrs) COVID Bivalent Booster Pre-Ordering Opening Soon

Currently, anyone aged 12 years or older who has completed at least a primary series is eligible for a bivalent booster, regardless of number or type of prior booster doses received, so long as at least two months have passed since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose. In addition, monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized as booster doses for individuals 12 years of age and older. If authorized by FDA, CDC anticipates a recommendation for bivalent COVID-19 vaccine as a booster for pediatric age groups in early to mid-October. Bivalent products expected to be under consideration include the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 5-11 years and bivalent Moderna vaccine in children aged 6-17 years, for those individuals who have already received their primary vaccine series.Here’s what we know:

Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 years and older is expected to have the following characteristics:

Packaged in 10-dose vials in cartons of 10 vials each (100 doses total)
Requires diluent (note: awardees will not be able to opt out of receiving ancillary kits)
Minimum order quantity of 100 doses in Philavax
Vial with an orange cap similar to the existing Pfizer-BioNTech product for this age group, but with a label that identifies it as a bivalent booster

Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is expected to have the following characteristics:

Packaged in 5-dose vials in cartons of 10 vials each (50 doses total), with a minimum order quantity of 100 doses in Philavax
The same vial (dark blue cap, gray border) and presentation for Moderna is expected to be used for all authorized age groups (people aged 6 years and older), but volume and dosage expected to differ by age:
- Adolescents aged 12-17 years: same volume and dosage as for adults aged 18 years and older
- Children aged 6-11 years: half the volume and dosage as for adults aged 18 years and older (drawn from the same vial), i.e., one vial yields double the number of doses when used for 6–11-year-olds as when used for people aged 12 years and older

Ordering/Administration Information

Administration of bivalent boosters for this age range cannot begin until EUAs are issued/updated AND ACIP meets to make formal vaccine recommendations
There will be no pre-order period for Moderna bivalent vaccine for children aged 6-11 since this product will already be in the field
Pre-ordering for Pfizer 5-11 bivalent boosters is expected to open up on Monday 9/26 and close on Tuesday 9/27 at 5pm
- This schedule is subject to change depending on CDC guidance
- Pfizer pre-orders are expected to arrive the week of 10/10. No Deliveries Will be Made on Indigenous People’s Day!
- NDC – 59267-0565-2