Vaccine Temperature Monitoring: New Paper Temperature Logs Available
To ensure that the vaccine at your site is viable when administered to patients, consistent temperature monitoring is an important part of participating in the program. Our program requires sites to maintain active and passive monitoring. The passive monitoring is recorded by the Digital Date Logger (DDL) and reported to our program regularly. The active monitoring is recorded on the paper temperature logs.
The vaccine information statements (VIS) for hepatitis B and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) including Prevnar 13, Vaxneuvance, and Prevnar 20 have been updated. Access the updated documents below:
The Philadelphia Vaccines for Children (VFC)/ Vaccines for Adults at Risk (VFAAR) annual re-enrollment period will take place June 1 – 30, 2023. For the fourth year, the enrollment will be done electronically through PhilaVax.
To get your site ready for re-enrollment, complete these steps now.
1. Update Clinic Tools Review the information indicated for your site the Clinic Tools, Clinic Information module. Use these job aids to guide you though making needed updates to the clinic’s:
2. Make sure you have the access to PhilaVax you need. The vaccine coordinators and medical director must log into the PhilaVax IIS to access, complete and sign the electronic re-enrollment form. If you have not completed the 2023 User Confidentiality Agreement to renew your account or do not have a PhilaVax user account, use the link below to complete it now.
If you have a PhilaVax account and need to update your password, you can email PhilaVax@phila.gov for assistance.
Additional information and instructions will be communicated closer to the start of the re-enrollment period. Re-enrollment is a requirement for the VFC/VFAAR programs. Failure to complete the re-enrollment form will result in un-enrollment.
Protecting Infants from Vaccine Preventable Diseases
National Infant Immunizations Week is April 24 to April 30 this year, serving as a reminder to protect infants in Philadelphia from vaccine preventable diseases.
Over the years, immunization providers in the United States have reached major milestones in protecting infants through vaccines. Through immunization, we can now protect infants and children from 15 vaccine-preventable diseases before age 2.
There are important updates to COVID-19 immunization recommendations for infants:
Previously unvaccinated: Children 6 months through 5 years of age who are unvaccinated may receive a two-dose series of the Moderna bivalent vaccine (6 months through 5 years of age) OR a three-dose series of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine (6 months through 4 years of age).
Previously vaccinated:Children 6 months through 4 years who previously completed their full two- or three-dose monovalent Moderna/Pfizer COVID-19 primary vaccination series are now recommended to receive a dose of Moderna/Pfizer’s updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine.
Children 6 months through 5 years of age who have received one, two, or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine should receive a bivalent vaccine, but the number of doses that they receive will depend on the vaccine and their vaccination history.
Healthy People 2030
Philadelphia immunization providers have made measurable progress in infant immunization coverage. However, immunization rates fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
In Philadelphia, vaccination coverage with 4 doses of the DTaP vaccine in children between 0 and 2 years old was around 84% in 2021.
Healthy People 2030 objective IID-06 is: Increase the coverage level of 4 doses of the DTaP vaccine in children by age 2 years. The target for this objective is 90%.
Philadelphia providers have an opportunity to increase immunization coverage for this metric to reach or exceed the target by 2030.
Local Data
In addition to increasing DTaP vaccine coverage, Philadelphia providers can improve infant immunization coverage by focusing on addressing disparities.
Local data shows that influenza vaccination coverage among infants was lowest at 55.8% among the lowest income group in the data set, as compared with 84.3% among the highest income group in the set. In addition, influenza vaccination coverage was 61.2% among Black infants and 61.9% among Hispanic infants, as compared with 73.8% among white infants.
Rotavirus coverage was 65.7% among the lowest income group, as compared with 87.1% among the highest income group. Rotavirus coverage was 70.3% among Black infants and 69.8% among Hispanic infants, as compared with 84.1% among white infants.
Preexisting social determinants of health such as economic burden, lack of transportation, and lower rate of insurance coverage contribute to these disparities. However, immunization providers can use multiple strategies to close the gaps in vaccination coverage.
Strategies to increase vaccination rates among Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native communities include strongly recommending flu vaccination and making culturally appropriate vaccine recommendations (e.g. using materials with images representative of those in the community, addressing community-specific concerns and misinformation, and using the predominant language spoken in the community, such as Spanish).
Providers can also work toward increasing vaccination coverage among low-income populations by using evidence-based strategies such as immunization reminders, standing orders to provide vaccination whenever appropriate, and immunization information systems. Additionally, review immunization schedules with parents at the child’s first visit to show vaccines that are upcoming.
Resources
Improving communication between providers and patients is crucial to increasing immunization coverage among infants in your office.
Download and print coloring sheets for National Infant Immunizations Week.
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is a yearly observance highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). This year, in particular, it’s critical to ensure that families stay on track for children’s routine checkups and recommended vaccinations following disruptions from COVID-19.
Research has consistently shown that healthcare professionals are the most trusted and influential source of vaccine information for parents. All staff in healthcare practices, including non-clinical staff, play important roles during NIIW.
**Please arrive 15 minutes early. Late arrivals will not be able to attend.**
The Immunization Program is hosting a FREE Pediatric Immunization Techniques training this spring. Class participants are limited and will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. A maximum of 20 participants will be accepted. Participants can only attend one training per year.
This half-day, interactive education session will focus on the basics of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine types, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and requirements, and pediatric immunization administration techniques.
We encourage attendance by Nurses and Medical Assistants who administer vaccines or who will be administering vaccines to pediatric patients in the future. This course is beneficial to new practitioners as well as seasoned practitioners who need a refresher course or would like an update on best practices for administering vaccines.
Vaccination helps prevent adolescents and young adults from getting sick and missing out on activities that are important to them. Help keep adolescents up to date on their immunizations against potentially life-threatening diseases like meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, HPV-related cancers, COVID-19, and flu.
PhilaVax will be temporarily closed to new VFC/VFAAR orders from 12PM on Wednesday, March 29, until 9AM on Tuesday, April 4, while the vaccine prices are updated for 2023.
During this time, any orders entered into PhilaVax IIS will be deleted from the system and not processed.
If you need to a place an order, submit it before 12 PM on Wednesday, March 29.
Normal order processing and shipping will resume at 9 AM on Tuesday, April 4.
On November 4, 2022, FDA licensed a new formulation of Rotavirus Vaccine, Live, Oral (Rotarix, GSK). The new formulation comes as a liquid that does not require mixing or dilution. The new formulation (1.5mL x 10 applicators) will be available for VFC providers to order March 1, 2023. The original formulation (1mL x 10 vials and applicators) will be available until the supply is depleted or expires.
To change the formulation that your site orders, complete the Vaccine 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.
Rotarix Rotarix, oral (1.5 mL x 10 applicators) will be available March 1, 2023, through the Vaccines Children (VFC) program.
UPDATE: The ACIP routine recommendation for Rotarix is a two dose series, given at 2 and 4 months of age. For catch up vaccination: Do not start the series on or after 15 weeks, 0 days. The maximum age for the final dose is 8 months, 0 days. View the 2023 ACIP pediatric/adolescent schedule.
This month, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices published updated immunization schedules for 2023. COVID-19 vaccine has been added to the routine pediatric immunization schedule for ages 6 months and up, among other important additions. There have been several recent changes to vaccine products for pediatric patients as well.
Pneumococcal conjugate row: Language has been revised. The text now reads “This dose is only necessary for children aged 12–59 months regardless of risk, or aged 60–71 months with any risk, who received 3 doses before age 12 months.”