Weekly Reporting Beginning May 1

UPDATE: As of May 1, 2022, providers are only required to report COVID-19 vaccine supply levels at least weekly by close of business on Fridays. Daily reporting of inventory to VaccineFinder is no longer required. All other requirements regarding data reporting, to the IIS for example, remain unchanged.

We appreciate your efforts to update data in VaccineFinder. If your site does not have access to VaccineFiner or needs to change the primary or backup contact for VaccineFinder, please reach out to covidproviders@phila.gov. Please note that only two individuals can receive registration links for VaccineFinder. In some instances, sites may only be able to have one individual reporting to VaccineFinder depending on how the account was initially setup.

Pfizer Tris Shelf Life Extension (9-12 Months) Approved

The Food & Drug Administration has approved an amendment to the EUA for Pfizer Tris COVID-19 vaccine extending the shelf-life of the following Pfizer product formulations from 9 to 12 months:

• Pfizer Tris Pediatric vaccine (Orange Cap for ages 5 through 11, with diluent)
• Pfizer Adult Tris (Gray Cap for ages 12+, no diluent)

Vials stored consistently in an ultra-low temperature freezer at -90°C to -60°C (-130°F to -76°F) may remain in use for up to 12 months beyond the date of manufacture printed on the vials and cartons. Vials stored in refrigerated vials (2°C to 8°C) are NOT eligible for extension, regardless of the expiration date. Additional information on Pfizer storage and handling may be found at Administration Overview for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | CDC.

Pfizer Orange and Gray Cap Tris Vaccine expiry dates based on 12 months from the date of the manufacture are shown below and at Expiry Information for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines.

No changes have been made to the vaccine itself to enable extension of expiry dating. This change is based on stability data submitted by the manufacturer to the FDA.

Reminders:

• Do not use Pfizer Tris products beyond 12 months from manufacture date.
• Expiration dates for the Pfizer TRIS products are NOT printed on the vaccine cartons or vials.
• Do not store Pfizer vials at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F). Once vials are thawed, they should not be refrozen.

For more information, please review the updated FDA Factsheets:
Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Gray Cap/Adult)
Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Orange Cap/PEDS)

COVID-19 vaccines authorized under an EUA do not have fixed expiration dates, and expiration dates may be extended as more stability data is collected. Always check Expiry Information for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccines  to obtain the most up-to-date expiration dates for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines you have in inventory.

COVID-19 Vaccine Ordering Guidance

When providers are ordering in Philavax, please keep in mind that there are “Minimum Order Quantities.” This means that if you place an order below the minimum order quantity, PDPH will automatically increase it to meet the requirement. See table below for the MOQ’s (minimum order quantities) for each vaccine.

A couple of things to note:

• Pfizer gray cap must be ordered in increments of 300 doses in Philavax which is a total of 5 boxes.
• Janssen has to be ordered in increments of 100 doses in Philavax which is a total of 2 boxes.
  • The Food & Drug Administration announced the approval of a shelf-life extension for the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for an additional two months. The shelf-life of this vaccine has been updated from 9 months to 11 months.

Partial Orders/Small Quantity Orders
If your site is interested in receiving less than the minimum order quantity (i.e., a couple of vials), you can place an order in Monday.com. All vaccine orders placed via Monday.com will arrive refrigerated on the following Tuesday or Wednesday. You can place a note in the comment section if you need to order Janssen or Moderna vials. Please do not forget to submit a temperature log and reconciliation with Monday.com orders. These orders are due by Wednesday at 5pm as well.

Place a partial order.

Communicating About Vaccines: COVID-19 & More

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health recently collaborated with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to develop a new educational module, “Communicating about Vaccines – COVID-19 & More.”

This free, web-based interactive session offers a two-hour training divided into three parts:

1. Details the dangers of COVID-19 disease, explains the U.S. system to authorize and approve vaccines, and highlights the safety & effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
2. Explores best practices in vaccine communication.
3. Reviews the module, offers additional resources, and explains how to receive continuing education credit or a certificate of attendance.

To learn more about the module or access continuing education credits (a version with no credits is also available), visit chop.edu/vaccine-online-learning.

This module was developed for adult and pediatric providers, immunization champions, and community members. It provides an understanding of COVID-19 disease, how the vaccine approval process works, and how to communicate effectively about these topics, so that ultimately stakeholders — and their constituents — have a solid, or reinforced, urgency regarding what the receipt of vaccines can do to protect people from COVID-19.

Please consider sharing with your colleagues and partners. If you have feedback or questions, email vacinfo@chop.edu using the subject line “COVID-19 online modules.”

Development of this free module was led and supported by the Vaccine Education Center and the Office of Community Engagement at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition, and Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

COVID-19 Ancillary Kit Update

All Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shipments will now include only one ancillary kit: one ancillary kit to one carton of vaccine, instead of two ancillary kits to one carton of vaccine. This change will take effect with orders placed beginning on Monday, April 11, 2022, at 10 am ET.

Providers are able to opt-out of future ancillary kit shipments (with the exception of Pfizer 5-11, as it requires diluent). In order to do so, please place a note in the comment section of your order if you are interested in opting out of Moderna, Janssen, and Gray Cap Pfizer supplies.

Although many providers are reporting an excess of ancillary supplies, PDPH is unable to accept any ancillary kits/supplies back from providers. Ancillary supplies can be donated domestically (not internationally) if sites are unable to use them. However, surplus CDC cards should be properly destroyed to avoid any misuse. If disposing of any needles, providers should utilize the appropriate sharps bins.

Email COVID@phila.gov with any questions.