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Pediatricians can begin reserving Moderna’s new monovalent COVID-19 vaccines as they await final approval from health officials.
Orders can be placed through Moderna Direct as well as in wholesaler/distribution channels. They will be confirmed after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the vaccines, which is expected in the coming weeks. Prices will depend on the contract or group affiliation.
The vaccines will come in several single-dose presentations. Vaccines for people ages 12 years and older will come in 0.5 mL single-dose prefilled syringes sold in 10-count cartons with a blister pack option as well as single-dose vials in 10-count cartons.
For children ages 6 months through 11 years, the vaccines will be sold in 0.25 mL single-dose vials that come in 10-count cartons.
Moderna would begin shipping the vaccines after FDA approval. Ten percent of an order that is received can be returned.
The vaccines can be stored frozen until their expiration date at -50 to -15 degrees Celsius. After thawing, they cannot be frozen. They can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for up to 30 days before first use, if the expiration date is not exceeded. They can be stored at 8 to 25 degrees Celsius for up to 24 hours.
The FDA requested the new monovalent formulation with an XBB.1.5 strain in June, following recommendations from its expert advisers aiming to better match circulating virus variants. The original strain and other early variants are no longer circulating. Experts also noted most people have antibodies against the original strain from vaccination, infection or both.
Vaccine manufacturers presented data from animal studies showing updated XBB vaccine formulations elicit stronger neutralizing antibody responses against these strains than current vaccines. A Moderna study with 101 adults also showed improved neutralizing antibody response against XBB and a similar safety profile to previous COVID vaccines.
Once the FDA authorizes the new vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will decide who should get them.
Pediatricians also can order Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. For more information, visit https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/25416.
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Call the Moderna care team with questions at 866-663-3762.
