OPA COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics: December 6, 2022 Update

^New Preorders Open for COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Ages 6 Months through 4 years

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has opened preordering for two COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer-BioNTech’s new bivalent pediatric formulation for children ages 6 months through 4 years and Moderna’s new bivalent pediatric formulation for children ages 6 months through 5 years.

By placing an advance order, providers can have the vaccine available on-site to administer promptly, following all required federal approvals. The vaccine can be shipped to providers following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA); however, doses cannot be administered until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues recommendations for use.

For planning purposes, it is expected that children in these age groups will be required to receive two doses of the monovalent COVID-19 vaccine before receiving a dose of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Since Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be authorized as a booster, and Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 bivalent vaccine is expected to be authorized as part of the pediatric primary series, mix-and-match use is NOT likely to be authorized. The same vaccine manufacturer should be used to complete the primary series for this youngest age grouping.

Providers are encouraged to order only one of the two vaccine options initially to avoid administration or storage errors, as each vaccine has different and unique criteria for storage and handling.

^New Shelf Life Extension for Some Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines
The expiration dates of some Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been extended. This extension is based on ongoing stability data shared by Moderna. Only vials that have been maintained at frozen storage temperatures between minus 50 degrees Celsius to minus 15 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) are included in this extension. To find the expiration date, go to the Moderna Vial Expiration Checker, 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.” The extension does NOT apply to thawed vials that were refrigerated.

Reminder: Pfizer Educational Webinars on Paxlovid and COVID-19
The Pfizer medical team announced a series of educational webinars focused on providing disease education on COVID-19 and PAXLOVID^TM (nirmatrelvir tablets; ritonavir tablets). This weekly webinar will focus on reviewing high risk conditions associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes, medical educational resources available for health care providers on the Pfizer Medical Portal, and recent updates to the PAXLOVID Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheet for healthcare providers. The webinar series will also include a question-and-answer session that will give the audience an opportunity to ask internal Pfizer medical experts questions. Click Here to Register.

Dates and Times:

1. December 8^th: 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EST
2. December 15^th: 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EST

Reminder: Funds Available from ODH Uninsured COVID-19 Vaccine Grant 
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) still has a small amount of funds available to reimburse pharmacies for vaccinating patients who are uninsured with the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccinators are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applicants shall not seek reimbursement through any other source for vaccines administered with this funding. Click here to download the Application for Uninsured Vaccine Administration Reimbursement. Downloaded applications will need to be signed, then emailed to Procurement@odh.ohio.gov.

Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Vaccine providers will receive the money upfront based on the provider’s estimated number of vaccinations of uninsured individuals from the date of award through June 30, 2023. Providers will have the option of payment by electronic fund transfer or by check. Providers will be required as part of the agreement to submit quarterly reports with a total number of vaccinations of uninsured individuals to be reviewed and validated by ODH. Providers will be required to return any funding received in excess of the actual vaccines administered. Please submit any questions regarding this funding opportunity to ODH by email at Procurement@odh.ohio.gov.

OPA is working diligently to facilitate communication between state decision-makers and member pharmacists. OPA has created multiple COVID-19 resources, including a COVID-19 Vaccine Information Webpage, COVID-19 Testing Hub, and COVID-19 Resources Webpage, on the OPA website www.ohiopharmacists.org under the Resources drop-down box. Please contact Myriam Shaw Ojeda, Director of Pharmacy Extension and Public Health Initiatives, for further questions at mshawojeda@ohiopharmacists.org.