Until recently, physicians looking to administer COVID-19 vaccines ran into a big roadblock: Many had to place orders so large their practices couldn’t use all the doses.
Those days are over, says the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Physicians now can place orders through DSHS’ Vaccine Ordering and Allocation System (VAOS) for the amount they need, even if it doesn’t meet the manufacturer’s shipment minimum, the agency says. But physicians first must enroll with the COVID-19 immunization program, and vaccine delivery can take up to two weeks, DSHS says.
Previously, the minimum orders for doses of the three vaccines with emergency use authorizations (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were:
- Pfizer-BioNTech: 1,170;
- Moderna: 100; and
- Johnson & Johnson: 100
The new ordering flexibility will help pediatricians and family physicians who plan to vaccinate teenagers. FDA recently expanded the Pfizer vaccine’s EUA to include patients 12 to 15. Before, 16-year-olds were the youngest patients who could receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The change is just the latest of several in vaccine distribution spurred by the increased availability of COVID-19 vaccine doses.
DSHS recently began filling orders for vaccines on a daily, rather than weekly, basis. Also, DSHS has changed policy by encouraging physicians and other health care professionals to vaccinate anyone who wants a COVID-19 shot, even if that means opening a new vial for that person without knowing whether all doses will be used. And physicians no longer have to use every dose in the week they receive it – though they should store the dose under the conditions that will maximize its shelf life.
Likewise, Texas resumed using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following federal health officials’ recommendations that the vaccine be administered to adults aged 18 and older.
In response to a growing number of private physician practices receiving direct supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Outpatient Workgroup developed two resources with best practices for planning and operating a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.
TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters program also offers a variety of resources on COVID-19 vaccines. And as always, check the TMA COVID-19 Resource Center regularly for up-to-date news and the latest TMA materials for your practice.