Update on paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised children aged 6 months to 4 years
As you may have seen in the media recently, use of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years who are at higher risk of severe disease if they were to catch COVID-19 commences on 9 February 2023. Late last year, the vaccine was provisionally approved by Medsafe, recommended by the Director-General of Health, and then approved by Ministers.
The vaccine
The vaccine for this age group is an adapted version of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine used for 5- to 11year-olds. This vaccine is colloquially referred to as the ‘maroon top’ and there are 10 doses per maroon-coloured vial. The provisional approval is for 3 doses, with the second dose given 3 weeks after the first dose, followed by a third dose given at least 8 weeks after the second dose. The vaccine can only be administered by fully authorised vaccinators who have completed the relevant training for this vaccine, and are competent and confident vaccinating children 4 years and under. (Provisionally authorised vaccinators are encouraged to become fully authorised; contact karen.thomas@bopdhb.govt.nz to discuss).
After-care
Your patients may require after-care support or information after receiving the vaccine. You can access post-vaccine after-care information on the Bay of Plenty immunisation Clinical Hub here. In due course, information on this vaccine will be available on the Ministry of Health and IMAC websites.
You can access all of the Bay’s immunisation information at any time at www.bopdhb.health.nz/clinical-hub
Eligibility
Eligibility of the vaccine is limited to tamariki who are severely immunocompromised, and/or who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe disease from catching COVID-19. This follows the Starship Child Health table of underlying comorbidities, which can be viewed here. Children who are not in these risk categories for severe COVID-19 are not recommended to have the vaccine.
Bookings
Bookings for this vaccine delivery at fixed sites will be available online on www.BookMyVaccine.nz or by phoning Healthline for free on 0800 28 29 26 between 8 am-8 pm, 7 days. The vaccine is free The Bay of Plenty’s outreach immunisation service team will be calling parents/caregivers of tamariki admitted to our hospitals over the past year for identified conditions to offer the vaccine to their tamariki.
Delivery
The vaccine will be available for eligible tamariki to access for FREE via:
Rangiora, Tauranga Moana Health Hub
Open 10:30 am-6 pm Mon-Fri; 9:30 am-5 pm Sat & Sun
Fraser Cove Shopping Centre, 219-261 Fraser Street, Tauranga
No appointments necessary
Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance
Open Sun 10am – 2pm
5 Louvain Street, Whakatāne
By appointment with a limited drop-in service
Outreach immunisation service teams visiting healthcare providers and homes as invited throughout the Bay of Plenty.
Referrals
You know your patients and their whānau well and we encourage you to refer eligible tamariki through to the Bay of Plenty immunisation programme by free phoning 0800 829 001 between Monday – Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm or by e-referral through BestPractice using the same BPAC referral pathway as the COVID-19 and mpox deliveries.
We know the vaccination itself is only one small part of the vaccination experience for whānau, and all healthcare providers have a key role to play in building trust and lifting uptake. Please consider which tamariki you engage with who may be eligible and start kōrero with whānau about the vaccine now.
Communications
As trusted healthcare advisors to whānau throughout the rohe, we value your role in talking about the vaccine with parents of immunocompromised tamariki and supporting parents with an informed decision-making process. We are grateful for your support of our efforts to ensure all immunocompromised tamariki can easily have this vaccine. National collateral from Te Whatu Ora –Health New Zealand (such as vaccine leaflets and after-care information) is expected to be available to print from 26 January. We will let you know when this is available and encourage you to order copies for your clinics and staff to hand out to whānau. We have requested these resources be available in English, Te Reo Māori, Pasifika languages, and other languages frequently spoken throughout Aotearoa.
Thank you for your support in the delivery of this vaccine to vulnerable pēpē and tamariki throughout the district. We will continue to keep you up to date with relevant information regarding this vaccine and other immunisations. Please send any pātai (questions) to gina.burney@bopdhb.govt.nz or call 027 208 7167.