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COVID-19: Providers

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Vaccine Information for Providers

Vaccine Updates

Federal, state and local guidance on COVID-19 vaccines is updated regularly.

CDC Guidance

NYC Updates

Frequently Asked Questions


See below for additional COVID-19 guidance for providers, including how you can get vaccinated.

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Speak to Patients and Build Vaccine Confidence

Vaccine Program Communications

Become a Vaccine Provider

NYC providers who want to participate in the city's COVID-19 vaccine program will need to enroll with the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR). They must use the CIR to electronically sign a provider agreement, place their order and report all doses administered.

Note: If you already belong to a Federal Retail Pharmacy Program network, you still need to enroll in CIR but do not need to separately enroll in the NYC COVID-19 program.

  • Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR): How to enroll in CIR, access the provider agreement, order vaccine and report doses given.
    • Once your Provider Agreement is approved by the NYC Health Department (and if you have appropriate vaccine storage), you will be able to place orders for COVID-19 vaccine in the CIR.
  • The CDC has developed a tool to help providers enrolled in the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program understand the difference in requirements between the VFC program and the COVID-19 Vaccination program. To help compare, see this table with a side-by-side comparison of these two federal programs.

Small practices can contact NYC REACH COVID-19 Vaccine Support for assistance with ordering COVID-19 vaccines, using patient outreach tools and finding vaccination sites for patients. For more information, contact NYC REACH.

Billing

You must offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible people (as per State guidance), regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

You may not bill for the cost of the vaccine, but you are permitted to bill the recipient’s health insurance plan for an administration fee. If a recipient does not have health insurance, or if their health insurance does not cover the administration fee, you can request reimbursement for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine through the HRSA Uninsured Program or the HRSA COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund.

Support Access to Vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone age 5 years or older at no cost. If you do not offer COVID-19 vaccines, refer patients by:

  • Visiting the COVID-19 Vaccine Finder to find a vaccine site (not accessible with Internet Explorer).
  • Calling 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692) to schedule an appointment (to help a patient, press #2; for boosters and additional doses, press #4).
  • Requesting an in-home vaccination appointment.
  • Requesting the NYC Vaccine Hotline call a patient to schedule an appointment.

If you offer COVID-19 vaccines, learn how to make your vaccination site more accessible:

Vaccine Administration and Reporting

Note: Translations are available for many of the documents for patients at the respective websites.

Fact Sheets for Vaccine Providers

Fact Sheets for Recipients

You are required to communicate information consistent with these fact sheets to patients (and provide a copy or direct the patient to the fact sheet at the manufacturer's website) before they receive the respective vaccines.

Other Patient Handouts

Pre-Vaccination Screening

Administration Standing Orders

Sample standing orders now reference thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome as it relates to the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.

How to Administer

Post-Injection Observation

Observe patients for 15 minutes after vaccination, or for 30 minutes if they have a:

  • History of an immediate allergic reaction of any severity to a vaccine or injectable therapy
  • Contraindication to a different type of COVID-19 vaccine
  • History of anaphylaxis due to any cause

Reporting

  • Report each vaccine administration to the CIR within 24 hours. Patient consent is not required. You can report to CIR through a direct connection in an EHR, the online CIR site or a flat file.

For information on reporting an adverse event in VAERS, see the Adverse Events Reporting section.

Vaccine Storage and Handling

Clinical Considerations and Safety

Adverse Events Reporting

Certain adverse events must be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

Use Every Opportunity to Offer Vaccine

Trainings and Previous Webinars

Training Modules on COVID-19 Vaccines

Webinars

Past webinar videos and slides are provided here for reference. They may not contain the most up-to-date information.

More Information