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In the Montgomery County Medical Society

COVID-19 bivalent mRNA boosters Information and Shipment Information from ODH

Montgomery County Medical Society Provided by MCMS Administration

Last week, September 2nd, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) sent out a notice to Ohio physician practices and other healthcare providers.

New bivalent mRNA COVID-19 boosters created to strengthen protection against the original COVID-19 strain and the currently circulating Omicron variant can be administered to Ohioans age 12 years and older as soon as practical after vaccine shipments arrive.

New bivalent mRNA COVID-19 boosters created to strengthen protection against the original COVID-19 strain and the currently circulating Omicron variant can be administered to Ohioans age 12 years and older as soon as practical after vaccine shipments arrive.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorizations for the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine boosters made by Pfizer-BioNTech (12 years +) and Moderna (18 years +). On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a mRNA bivalent booster for everyone age 12 years and older at least two months after completion of a primary vaccine series or at least two months after a booster dose. The bivalent mRNA vaccines are for booster doses only. Completion of a primary vaccine series (Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax) or single dose (Johnson & Johnson/Janssen) is required. Additional recommendations for timing of booster doses is anticipated from the CDC when  updates to the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Considerations are completed.

These recommendations replace previous booster recommendations for people ages 12 years and older. Moving forward, everyone who is eligible for a booster will receive one booster dose. This new recommendation is regardless of the number of previous doses received, or individual risk factors such as age or medical condition.

In addition, the original (monovalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized as booster doses for people ages 12 years and older. Any booster dose appointments scheduled for this age group should be rescheduled until shipments of the new bivalent booster have arrived.

Children ages 5 years through 11 years who received the Pfizer vaccine and have been eligible for boosters can continue to receive a booster of the same lower-dose formulation at least 5 months after completion of the primary series. There are no changes to the recommended COVID-19 vaccine schedules for children ages 6 months through 11 years.

ORDERING

Ohio vaccine providers who preordered the bivalent vaccines can begin vaccinations as soon as shipments arrive, and providers have had a chance to review storage, handling, and administration details found on the EUA fact sheets (linked below). Additional resources will be shared when available. Providers who placed preorders are urged to check their email messages for delivery updates from vaccine distributors. Shipment information also is available through the Vaccine Ordering Management System (VOMS). There will be no deliveries on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022.

How to order bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters:

The Ohio Department of Health is again accepting orders for the bivalent boosters through VOMS.

  • VOMS is open for providers to place orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Orders can be placed using the COVID-19 – Pfizer and COVID-19 – Moderna order sets. The minimum order quantity is 300 doses for Pfizer (30 mcg/0.3 mL) and 100 doses for Moderna (50 mcg/0.5 mL). A “soft-cap” maximum of 600 doses for Pfizer and 200 doses for Moderna doses will be placed on each order at this time to help with the equitable distribution of the vaccine.
    • Please order only what you plan to use in the near future.
    • Order quantities may be adjusted to ensure fair and equitable distribution across the state.
    • If you are part of a large healthcare system or have a special request for a local vaccination effort that would require more doses, please call the ODH Provider Call Center at 1-844-9ODHVAX (1-844-963-4829) and we will work with you.
  • Smaller quantities of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccine can also be requested.
    • The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Receipt, Store, and Stage (RSS) warehouse facility will offer 60-dose quantities of the Pfizer bivalent booster once initial shipments have arrived.
    • Please use the COVID-19 ODH RSS order set to request these smaller quantities beginning this afternoon.

RESOURCES FOR PROVIDERS:

The Ohio Department of Health is currently awaiting updated CDC clinical guidance for COVID-19 vaccines, including administration of booster doses, and will share updated resources for Ohio providers after reviewing that guidance.

The Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Provider website is a hub for a variety of resources for vaccine providers. Vaccine providers with questions may call the ODH Provider Call Center at 1-844-9ODHVAX (1-844-963-4829) between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or email COVIDVACCINE@odh.ohio.gov.