NYC VFC Provider Requirements: Provider Site Visits

Site visits are conducted to ensure that VFC and other publicly funded vaccines are stored, handled, distributed, and administered in accordance with the laws, policies, and recommendations of: the VFC Program, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules, as published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In NYC, the PQA Unit field staff are responsible for conducting provider site visits. The PQA unit chief may accompany field staff on visits to ensure optimal services.

All providers are visited at minimum, once every two years. Additional visits may be scheduled if needed (e.g., practice moving to another location, large order histories or unusual ordering patterns, prior reports of vaccine fraud or abuse or suspected misuse of VFC vaccines, large amount of vaccine loss due to improper storage and handling, and previous unacceptable storage and handling practices).

Your practice’s main physician and vaccine coordinator must be available during site visits. All other staff members involved in the storage, handling, accountability, and administration of publicly funded vaccine should also be present for feedback, if possible.

There are five types of provider site visits conducted by the NYC VFC program:

VFC New Enrollment site visit

The New Enrollment site visit is conducted as soon as the provider enrolls in the VFC program. This visit must be conducted within 2 weeks of enrollment and it must be conducted prior to processing the first VFC vaccine order. This visit is to ensure that providers enrolled in the VFC program are meeting the requirements of vaccine storage and handling and to educate providers on VFC requirements so that vaccines are stored, distributed, handled, accounted, and administered only to VFC-eligible children in accordance with the laws, polices, and recommendations of: the VFC Program, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules, as published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During this visit, PQA field staff complete the New Enrollment Site Visit Questionnaire and Checklist.

VFC Compliance site visit

The VFC Compliance site visit is conducted at minimum, once every two years. This visit is to ensure that VFC and other publicly funded vaccines are stored, handled, distributed, and administered in accordance with the laws, policies, and recommendations of: the VFC Program, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules, as published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During this visit, PQA field staff complete the VFC Site Visit Questionnaire and provide you with feedback.

Combined VFC Compliance AFIX (Assessment, Feedback, Inventive, and Exchange) site visit

The combined VFC Compliance and AFIX site visit may be conducted every two years. This visit is to ensure that VFC and other publicly funded vaccines are stored, handled, distributed, and administered in accordance with the laws, policies, and recommendations of: the VFC Program, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules, as published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The AFIX portion of this visit assesses immunization coverage through the CIR among the 19-35 month-old patient population and among the 13-17 year old patient population prior to the visit. The results, including coverage rates and patient lists of children missing vaccines, are reviewed during this site visit. PQA field staff also complete the VFC Site Visit Questionnaire and provide you with feedback.

Unannounced Storage and Handling Site Visit

The Unannounced Storage and Handling site visit is conducted as needed. This visit is to follow-up on whether providers are meeting requirements that may have been recommended during a previous site visit in terms of storage, handling, and accountability. Providers are not alerted about this visit before it is conducted. Unannounced site visits are also considered when a provider fails to adhere to recommended vaccine storage and handling practices (e.g. storing food and drinks in the refrigerator, not rotating vaccine stock, or finding expired vaccine in the refrigerator), or when a provider fails to maintain a proper amount of privately purchased vaccine in their refrigerator.

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