The New York State Department of Health (DOH) issued updated guidance (attached) on COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and also updated the COVID-19 Immunization Screening and Consent Form (attached) and Screening Checklist (attached). The updates are in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) amended Emergency Use Authorizations for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on eligible populations for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses.
For individuals who received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, the CDC recommends a single booster dose six months or later after receiving the initial series for individuals:
- Age 65 and older
- Age 18 and older who live in long-term care settings
- Age 18 and older who have underlying medical conditions
- Age 18 and older who work or live in high-risk settings
For any individuals that received the single dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends a single booster dose at least two months after administration of the primary dose.
Moderna Booster Dose Volume and Reporting
The volume of the Moderna booster dose is 0.25 mL (half the volume of the primary dose). Both 0.5 mL primary doses and 0.25 mL booster doses can be drawn from the same vial. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is supplied in two multiple-dose vial presentations:
- A multiple-dose vial containing 5.5 mL (i.e., Moderna 10-dose)
- A multiple-dose vial containing 7.5 mL (i.e., Moderna 14-dose)
When extracting only booster doses or a combination of primary series and booster doses, the maximum number of doses that may be extracted from either vial presentation should not exceed 20 doses; the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine vial stopper should not be punctured more than 20 times. Once punctured, multidose vials of the Moderna vaccine must be used within 12 hours.
Despite the volume of the booster dose being 0.25 mL, providers should still report a full dose as administered in the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS). Reporting of half doses is not allowed, and inventory must only be reported in whole doses.
Mix and Match
DOH cites FDA and CDC recommendation stating that booster doses should be given using the same vaccine manufacturer that the person received for the primary series. However, if the same product used for the primary series is no longer available or a different COVID-19 vaccine is desired, any FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine can be used for the booster dose, according to FDA and CDC guidance.
GNYHA will continue to keep hospitals apprised of any vaccine distribution updates.