New Grey Cap Pre-Diluted Vaccines

Comirnaty Grey Caps vaccines hot topics and updates

Grey cap vaccine record sheets have been updated - so please use these and remove any downloaded early this morning.
Covid Vaccine screening guide has also been updated to v18 - so please use this one.
Spacing and eligibility for boosters, and guidance on spacing post COVID disease has not changed. You will be aware that there will be updated guidance around these issues, but changes only start from 1 April. We will share more information about this in the near future.
Vaccine expiry in open vial: Once a vial is opened the vaccine will expire after 12 hours, and should be stored in the fridge. You can draw up doses of vaccine from a cool vial and administer immediately, it does not need to reach room temperature.
Expiry in syringes: maximum expiry of 6 hours, or the use by time on the vial, whichever is soonest. Syringes can be stored either in the fridge or at room temperature. Clearly mark vaccines with type of vaccine and use by time.
Resources and guidance are on our Comirnaty Grey Caps resources page.

Covid Vaccine screening guide has also been updated - so please use this one.

Grey cap vaccine record sheets have been updated - the latest have red text on them.

Resources and guidance are on the IMAC website:

There are changes to the stock for those aged 12+ you should be using from Wednesday 1 March onwards

All COVID adult doses will now have a ‘grey cap’.
Any stock with a ‘purple cap’ should be taken out of circulation and destroyed.
At end of day 28 February, all Comirnaty (12+ years) Purple Cap Vaccine vials should have been disposed in the Interwaste vial disposal bins and recorded as wastage in the CIR inventory.

We’re introducing a new formulation for adult booster doses – the bivalent vaccine

From 1 March, a new Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent vaccine will be available to eligible New Zealanders as a booster dose.
This will replace the existing Pfizer booster and is considered likely to be more effective against Omicron subvariants than earlier vaccines.
It will not replace the vaccines used for the primary vaccination course, which will be the original grey cap Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine or the Novavax vaccine.
Comirnaty 30 mcg (12+ years) Grey Cap Vaccine are now to be used for Primary doses and Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 15/15 mcg Grey Cap Vaccine for Booster doses (16+ years if eligible).

There are no changes to who is eligible for a booster right now, but you can expect to see changes in early April

There are no changes to booster eligibility on 1 March 2023. If someone isn’t sure about their eligibility, they should visit https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-boosters/#check-your-eligibility

If you want to learn more about these changes, IMAC have a set of resources for vaccinators. Visit https://covid.immune.org.nz/

For clinical advice contact IMAC on 0800 466 863.

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