Dear Colleagues,
Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and authorized for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines (manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.) formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. These vaccines have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5.
As a result of the above action, we received word from the NJDOH that effective immediately, the bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States and should not be administered. The appropriate personnel in our ambulatory and inpatient sites are aware and are working with Jackie Sutton from our pharmacy to remove any doses of this vaccine and initiate the proper disposal.
The ACIP is meeting today to issue their recommendations for how these updated vaccines are to be used shortly after which the CDC will make their own recommendations which we will pass along to you in a subsequent communication. The aforementioned sites will be restocked with the updated vaccine when it becomes available to us.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Raquel Nahra or Jackie Sutton.
Thank you for your continued outstanding care of our Cooper patients.
Joseph M. Montella, MD, MS
Chief Medical Officer