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OPA COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics: November 22, 2022 Update


NewCOVID-19 Vaccine Deliveries on the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) shared information about COVID-19 vaccine deliveries for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. All scheduled deliveries will continue as normal until today, Tuesday, November 22. The following shipment changes will occur:

  • Pfizer BioNTech Direct shipments will not occur Wednesday, November 23, through Sunday, November 27.  Deliveries will resume on Monday, November 28.
  • McKesson Specialty direct shipped COVID-19 vaccines (Novavax, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen): Deliveries will not occur between Wednesday, November 23, through Sunday, November 27. Deliveries will resume on Monday, November 28.
  • ODH Receipt, Store, and Stage (RSS) COVID-19 vaccines: Deliveries will not occur between Wednesday, November 23, through Monday, November 28. Deliveries will resume on Tuesday, November 29.

Please monitor your email for delivery updates and COVID-19 vaccine order status. If you have any questions or issues, please call the ODH Provider Call Center between 8 am and 5:30 pm Monday through Friday at 1-844-9ODHVAX (1-844-963-4829) or email COVIDVACCINE@odh.ohio.gov. Please note, the ODH Provider Call Center will be closed on Thursday, November 24, in observance of the holiday.

NewPfizer-BioNTech Single Dose Booster Formulation for Individual Ages 12 and Above

Ohio vaccine providers can now order and administer the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent booster for individuals 12 years and above in a single dose vial (SDV) presentation. The SDVs must only be used for one recipient for one injection. Vaccinators will need to withdraw one dose for one injection and discard the SDV with any remaining vaccine after 1 dose. Other important packaging, storage, and handling information is summarized below:

  • Ultra-cold freezer storage (-90°C to -60°C) until expiration.
  • Refrigerate (2°C to 8°C) up to 10 weeks without puncturing.
  • Packaged in 10 single dose vials/carton
  • Minimum order quantity of 50 doses
  • No ancillary kits will be included with the SDV vaccine orders.
    • Utilize existing supplies, including CDC COVID-19 vaccination cards.
  • SDVs do not require the use of low-dead-volume (LDV) syringes.

Vaccinators can order the SDV Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster through the ODH vaccine ordering management system under the COVID-19 Pfizer order set.

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 PAXLOVIDTM (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 1st: 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EST
  2. December 8th: 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EST
  3. December 15th: 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm EST

Reminder: Pfizer Training on COVID-19 Vaccine Bivalent Boosters 
Pfizer Medical offers virtual training for all providers on the newly authorized bivalent booster for individuals 5 through 11 years of age.  These sessions are for training purposes only. To access dates and links for upcoming training sessions, please visit https://www.pfizermedicalinformation.com/en-us/medical-updates.

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.

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