09/14/22 Health Advisory: COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Providers

• FDA removed its authorization of current (monovalent) Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines for use as booster doses in people 12 years or older.
  • As of Aug. 31, you may no longer give current (monovalent) Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as booster doses to people 12 years or older.
    • Reschedule existing booster dose appointments for people 12 years or older for when bivalent vaccine booster doses are available.
  • You can still give current (monovalent) Moderna and Pfizer vaccines:
    • As booster doses to children 5–11 years old.
    • As a primary series to people 6 months or older.
  • Retain your current vaccine supply and use the vaccine marketplace to shift primary series doses to areas of need.

• If possible, it is safe and recommended to administer the bivalent COVID-19 booster at the same time as the seasonal influenza vaccine, given in separate arms.   
• Local healthcare provider offices, local pharmacies, WCHD pop-up vaccine clinics are starting to receive the boosters.
• On Sept. 1, 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP’s) recommendation of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine bivalent booster doses.
  • Bivalent booster doses enhance immunity against the ancestral coronavirus strain and protect against newer Omicron variants that account for most current cases.
  • Bivalent booster doses provide optimal protection and address waning vaccine effectiveness over time.
• On Sept. 3, 2022, Western States Scientific Safety Review workgroup concurred with ACIP’s recommendation of bivalent booster doses for people who completed a primary series of COVID-19 vaccine.
• Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH’s) bivalent booster dose eligibility and recommendations:
  • To receive a bivalent booster dose, a person must first complete a primary series of Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Pfizer bivalent booster doses are authorized for people 12 years or older, at least 2 months after their most recent dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Moderna bivalent booster doses are authorized for people 18 years or older, at least 2 months after their most recent dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Children 5–11 years old should continue to receive Pfizer monovalent booster doses, at least 5 months after completing their primary series.
  • Booster doses are not authorized for children 6 months–4 years old.
  • Number of booster doses previously received does not affect bivalent booster dose eligibility.
• We expect DOH to approve statewide standing orders for bivalent booster doses soon. Keep your eye out for notification from DOH.
• DOH anticipates demand for bivalent booster doses will be greater than supply. Focus early administration on:
  • Preventing severe illness.
    • People 50 years or older.
    • People with certain medical conditions.
    • Certain immune-compromised people.
  • Minimizing spread of disease.
    • People who live in multigenerational households.
    • People who live or work with people at risk of severe illness.
    • People who live or work in congregate settings.
    • People at higher risk for exposure in their workplace.
  • Protecting communities COVID-19 disproportionately impacts. See health equity strategies from CDC and DOH.
    • Agricultural workers.
    • American Indian.
    • Alaska Native.
    • Asian.
    • Black or African American.
    • Latinx.
    • LGBTQ+.
    • Native Hawaiian.
    • Pacific Islander.
    • People living homeless.
    • People with disabilities.
    • People with limited English proficiency.
    • Slavic or former Soviet Union communities.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed its authorization of monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for booster doses for people 12 years or older.
  • Continue to use Pfizer monovalent COVID-19 vaccine for:
    • Primary series for children 6 months–4 years old and people 12 years or older.
    • Primary series and booster doses for children 5–11 years old.
  • Continue to use Moderna monovalent COVID-19 vaccine for:
    • Primary series for people 18 years or older.
• Wondering what “up-to-date” vaccine status means, now that bivalent booster doses are added to the COVID-19 vaccine schedule?
  • You are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccine when you have completed a primary series and received the most recent booster dose CDC recommends for you.
  • CDC recommends everyone 12 years or older get a bivalent booster dose at least 2 months after their last dose of COVID-19 vaccine, whether it was a primary series or previous booster dose.
• Providers who ordered bivalent booster doses will or have received their initial allocation this week. Weekly allocations will follow in upcoming weeks, building the state’s inventory levels over time.
  • If you paused ordering COVID-19 vaccine, we recommend you order bivalent booster doses when they become more available. 

More resources

• How to talk to your patients about COVID-19 vaccine, CDC.
• Clinical resources for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, CDC.
• Clinical resources for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, CDC.
• Clinical resources for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, CDC.
• COVID-19 isolation and precautions, CDC.
• Updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule, CDC.
• Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine toolkit for providers with a variety of resources for providers, like parent handouts and sample communications, Vaccinate WA.
• COVID-19 guidance for schools and childcare, DOH.
• COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, DOH.
• Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization (EUA), FDA.
• Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine EUA, FDA.
• Our Provider Resources MPV page.
• MPV page, CDC.

Contact Whatcom County Health and Community Services at 360-778-6100

• 360-778-6100 Main Call Line – available M-F 8:30am to 4:30pm.
  • Afterhours Answering Service – available after 4:30pm and weekends, call 360-778-6100 and press 2 to be connected to the on-call manager or health officer.
• 360-778-6150 Communicable Disease Report Line – 24 hours a day 7 days a week
• 360-778-6103 Confidential Communicable Disease Fax – 24 hours a day 7 days a week
• 509 Girard Street, Bellingham WA 98225