CIRCULATING VARIANTS AND MODERNA
Moderna testing showed that their vaccine produced neutralizing titer level that were above levels that are expected to be protective. Click here to read the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine press release on the vaccine’s neutralizing activity against emerging variants first identified in the U.K. and the Republic of South Africa.
TRANSPORTING PRE-DRAWN COVID-19 VACCINES
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are awaiting official guidance from the manufacturers on the ability to transport punctured vials and pre-drawn syringes. The CDC does not have any recommendations at this time on the transport of punctured vials or pre-drawn syringes, however guidance is under development and will be shared once available. For interim guidance, the Vaccine-Handling Toolkit from USP discusses important points about the storage of pre-drawn syringes.
NEW GUIDANCE – CDC COVID-19 PLAYBOOK ANNEX
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To serve as a companion document to the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Operational Guidance for Jurisdictions Playbook. (i.e., “Playbook”).
- To provide new guidance and considerations to jurisdictions regarding when and how to transition from vaccinating initial populations of focus to reaching and increasing uptake in additional priority populations.
- To provide a framework for balancing equitable access, service delivery, and vaccine demand.
- To provide tools for engaging priority populations and increasing vaccine confidence.
- To provide strategies to leverage private-public partnerships.
CLINICAL UPDATES
CDC has updated its COVID-19 clinical considerations. The following changes occurred:
- Updated recommendations on intervals between first and second dose.
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Language has been added to clarify doses inadvertently administered earlier than the grace period should not be repeated.
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Language has also been added that states “The second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, if it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval, the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be scheduled for administration up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. There are currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered beyond this window. If the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, there is no need to restart the series.”
- Updated recommendations on interchangeability of vaccine products.
- mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable
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In exceptional situations in which the first-dose vaccine product cannot be determined or is no longer available, any available mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may be administered at a minimal interval of 28 days between doses to complete the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series. If two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are administered in these situations (or inadvertently), no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time.
Click here to learn more.
VACCINATE WITH CONFIDENCE
- What Is Vaccine Confidence?
- Why Is It Important?
- Six Ways to Help Build COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence
- Vaccinate with Confidence Strategy to Reinforce Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines
Additional resources from the Vaccinate with Confidence Team at CDC:
MDHHS also created a FAQ for COVID-19 Vaccine, which can be found here.
MODERNA DOSES THAT HAD TEMPERATURE EXCURSION DURING SHIPMENT DEEMED VIABLE BY CDC AND MODERNA
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has been notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that Moderna doses shipped earlier this month that indicated a temperature excursion remain viable and can be used to vaccinate Michiganders.
The 8,900 doses shipped by McKesson in mid-January had their temperature reported as going out of range and getting too cold by the monitoring device used to check the vaccine temperature while in transport. Initial reports had the total doses impacted at 11,900. McKesson completed an internal investigation and determined the cause and lower limit of the cold excursion in these shipments. Based on data provided as part of that investigation, Moderna agreed that the vaccine in this shipment was viable upon arrival and remains viable under the following circumstances:
- Doses are confirmed to have been stored in quarantine at -20 degrees C, or
- Doses are confirmed to have been stored in quarantine at 2-8 degrees C and the doses were placed in refrigerated storage within 30 days.
“We are pleased we will be able to use these vaccines to protect Michiganders from the virus as we work to reach our goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over age 16 as quickly as possible with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “These safeguards are put into place to ensure the integrity of the vaccine and based on the investigation that was conducted, these vaccines can now be used.”
Vaccines are shipped to vaccine providers across the state by the manufacturers and distributors. No vaccine is shipped or distributed by MDHHS.
