Information concerning COVID-19 vaccination planning and distribution is moving rapidly. Below is a compilation of guidance materials specifically on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Please also refer to the COVID-19 Tracking and Regulatory Waivers page for updates on implementation of the State’s vaccination program and the COVID-19 Community, Patient, and Health Care Worker Health Education Material page, which contains materials regarding COVID-19 vaccine education.
CDC Guidance
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States: The CDC clarified recommendations regarding intervals between the first and second dose, among other updates and clarifications. | 1/21/2021 |
| V-safe flyer: V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after someone receives a COVID-19 vaccination. Once someone gets the COVID-19 vaccine, they can enroll in V-safe via their smartphone. Participation is voluntary and participants can opt out at any time. | 1/5/2021 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Training Module: This training provides continuing education credits for Physicians, Physician Assistants, Advanced Practice Nurses, RNs, and Pharmacists. | 12/15/2020 |
| What Clinicians Need to Know About the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: Presentation | 12/13/2020 |
| Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | 12/13/2020 |
| Post-Vaccine Considerations for Health Care Personnel: This approach is intended to reduce the risks of disruptions in care and pathogen transmission resulting from unnecessarily excluding HCP with only post-vaccination signs from work and inadvertently allowing HCP with SARS-CoV-2 or another transmissible infection to work. | 12/13/2020 |
| ACIP COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Considerations | 12/3/2020 |
| Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit (updated to include information on COVID-19 vaccine) | 11/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccination Training Programs and Reference Materials for Healthcare Professionals: This document lists immunization training and educational materials, including basic and COVID-19-vaccine-specifc information. | 11/24/2020 |
For Reference:
|
12/2020 |
DOH Guidance
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| Week 10 Guidance: Starting on February 15, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands to individuals with certain co-morbidities and underlying conditions. Week 10 guidance covers prioritization as well as proof of eligibility. | 2/13/2021 |
| Instructions for Requesting COVID-19 Vaccine in NYSIIS (Updated): Instructions for requesting COVID-19 vaccine in NYSIIS (formerly referred to as “pre-booking”) have been updated. In order to be considered for a COVID-19 vaccine allocation, enrolled vaccinators must submit a new planning request in NYSIIS each Monday by 5PM. Please do not submit before Monday. Guidance also updates the minimum Pfizer vaccine request to 1170 doses to account for six-dose vials (195 six-dose vials for a total of 1,170 doses).
DOH also sent an e-mail regarding weekly planning requests in NYSIIS. |
2/12/2021 |
| NYS Guidance on Vaccine Transport (Updated): Updates Transport guidance and the COVID-19 Vaccine Transport Tracking Sheet to include more detail regarding refrigeration and a recap of guidance on the Tracking Sheet itself. | 2/12/201 |
DOH Week 9 Guidance: Addresses prioritization and new vaccine eligibility categories for weeks 9 and 10, as well as:
|
2/8/2021 |
| Commissioner Letter Concerning Using Second Doses as First Doses: This letter clarifies the State’s position on using second doses as first doses, indicating that New York State will continue to follow the CDC recommendations on vaccine distribution and that the CDC does not currently recommend using second doses for first doses. | 2/4/2021 |
DOH Dear Provider Letter: Consistent with EO 202.91, the New York State Commissioner of Health sent a letter to enrolled vaccinators regarding limited vaccine allocations, and made three points:
|
1/23/2021 |
| COVID-19 Vaccination Program Redistribution Guidance: This guidance is meant to provide clarification on redistributing vaccine from receiving sites to vaccine administration sites.
Updated on 1/23/2021 to include 2nd doses on the Tracking Sheet. |
1/23/2021 |
| Guidance for the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program: As of 1/11 COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include groups from Phase 1B, and on 1/12 eligibility was updated to include 65+. Please see updated DOH guidance for details. Guidance also reviews vaccine provider responsibilities.
Updated on 1/19/2021. |
1/19/2021 |
| New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form: This form must be completed by the person receiving vaccine prior to administration and includes an attestation of vaccine priority group eligibility. This form can be completed online after which a submission ID will be received, or the form can be filled out at a vaccination site.
Updated on 1/12/2021 to include individuals age 65+. |
1/12/2021 |
| Second Dose Guidance: The guidance addresses both the Pfizer and Moderna second doses and reviews provider responsibilities, managing vaccine inventory, and additional considerations and information. | 1/11/2021 |
| DOH Guidance on the Use of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Remaining at the End of the Day or Clinic: The guidance notes that there may be circumstances that lead to doses of vaccine left in vials that remain at the close of business or the end of a vaccine clinic, creating a situation where no one from the priority population can arrive before the doses expire. In these circumstances, DOH authorizes providers to administer vaccine to other public-facing employees. The exception is only for the purpose of ensuring vaccine is not wasted. | 1/9/2021 |
| NYS Vaccine Tracker: Starting Tuesday, January 5, DOH is requiring all health care providers enrolled in the COVID-19 vaccine program to complete the NYS Vaccine Tracker between 12:00 a.m. (midnight) and 10:00 a.m. daily, seven days a week. | 1/5/2021 |
| Amended Week 4 Guidance: Updates Week 4 prioritization groups to include home care workers and aides, hospice workers, personal care aides, and consumer-directed personal care workers. This guidance supersedes and replaces previous Weeks 1-4 guidance. | 1/5/2021 |
| Unused Vaccine Letter: This letter to COVID-19 vaccine providers states that vaccine shipments must be administered within one week from delivery, otherwise remaining doses will be redistributed to other facilities. The letter asks that any facilities unable to administer all doses within this week please contact covidvaccinenotused@health.ny.gov, and that DOH staff will assist with redistribution. | 1/3/2021 |
| Weeks 1-5 Guidance: This guidance supersedes and replaces previously issued weeks 1 to 4 Phase 1A Guidance. The guidance provides detailed lists of Week 4 and 5 priority populations. Week 4 will add outpatient and ambulatory providers in high-risk areas and high-risk public health workers. DOH will add home care workers to the eligible priority group lists in Week 5. | 1/2/2021 |
| Guidance for Administration of the Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine: Hospitals will begin receiving vaccine supply to administer second doses on Monday, January 4. Vaccine that is designated for the second dose will automatically be allocated and delivered to each site. | 1/2/2021 |
| Week 3 and 4 Prioritization Guidance Clarification: This guidance clarification indicates “Facilities that have vaccinated all frontline direct care and patient-facing health care workers and still have vaccine available should proceed to vaccinating the next groups of health care and patient-facing workers, whose job responsibilities require in-person presence, including those health care workers that will be expected to participate in the hospital or health system’s surge response for their facility, continuing to prioritize by risk.” | 12/31/2020 |
| Week 3 and 4 Guidance: This guidance for week three starting December 28, 2020, and for week four beginning January 4, 2021, supersedes and replaces previously issued week one and week two guidance. The guidance reviews Phase 1A prioritization; which types of providers will receive vaccine shipments; where priority groups can get vaccinated; vaccinator responsibilities, including planning for the second dose and verifying identification of individuals being vaccinated; vaccine storage and handling; and information for OPWDD, OMH and OASAS. | 12/28/2020 |
| Guidance on Additional Moderna Doses: DOH issued guidance regarding the extra doses that providers have noted they can draw from Moderna vaccine vials. DOH’s guidance addresses operational questions that the extra doses have created including how to manage reporting and how to manually modify inventory in NYSIIS. | 12/23/2020 |
| Standing Orders: An Executive Order was issued waiving the requirement for a patient-specific physician order for administering vaccine. DOH has provided the following fillable PDF templates for non-patient specific standing orders: | 12/23/2020 |
| Week 2 Prioritization Guidance: This guidance document addresses prioritization for hospitals and Federally-qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that are receiving COVID-19 vaccine the week of December 21, 2020. The DOH guidance also alerts hospitals and FQHCs of their responsibility to act as vaccination centers for newly added priority groups that do not work within their facilities. Guidance includes a worksheet. | 12/21/2020 |
COVID-19 Vaccine Week 2 Compiled Guidance Documents: This guidance document, released shortly after the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine EUA was announced, provides multiple materials to support the initial distribution of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine as well as limited Week 2 allocations of Pfizer vaccine.
|
12/20/2020 |
| Guidance on Storage and Handling of Moderna Vaccine: This guidance document addresses ancillary supply and PPE delivery, handling and storage, vaccine characteristics, training resources and reporting. | 12/18/2020 |
| Guidance on Additional Pfizer Doses: DOH issued guidance the extra doses that providers have noted they can draw from the initial week’s delivery of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine vials. DOH’s guidance addresses operational questions that the extra doses have created including how to manage reporting and how to manually modify inventory in NYSIIS. | 12/18/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Transport Guidelines: This guidance document addresses Transfer scenarios where an enrolled Vaccine Administration Site (VAS) location may need to transfer vaccine to support a closed POD clinic on campus, an off campus affiliated Employee Health location, or Mobile Vaccination POD in the community. It also addresses circumstances requiring redistribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine beyond the identified primary receiving site. | 12/17/2020 |
| Guidance on Immunization Reporting Requirements: This guidance document reminds vaccine providers of their obligation to report all COVID-19 vaccinations to the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) or the Citywide Immunization Registry within 24 hours of administration. | 12/13/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Form Instructions: To ensure equitable access of vaccine across the State, DOH will collect demographic information about individuals who are vaccinated. This form provides instructions on the new COVID-19 Vaccine Form, which DOH developed to capture this information. | 12/13/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Screening and Model Consent Form: While the Federal government requires that vaccine administrators provide the vaccine information sheets to patients, it does not require written consent for administering the COVID-19 vaccine. Nevertheless, because many providers will opt to implement a consent form with the information sheets, DOH has provided the screening template and model consent form as a guide. | 12/13/2020 |
| Instructions for Screening Patients: DOH provided instructions for the screening checklist for health care providers. | 12/13/2020 |
Initial Delivery Guidance: DOH released guidance in preparation for initial delivery of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Guidance addresses:
|
12/10/2020 |
| Guidance Webinar and Slides: What Hospitals Need to Know | 12/10/2020 |
| Sub-prioritization of Health Care Personnel: DOH provided a worksheet to assist in hospital planning efforts. | 12/10/2020 |
| Statewide Vaccination Plan: The New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program overview. | 10/2020 |
DOHMH Guidance
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| NYC Certification of Eligibility for COVID-19 Vaccine Due to Medical Condition: This form is required for individuals eligible for COVID-19 vaccine due to eligible co-morbidity or underlying condition when their vaccine provider does not have access to their medical records. If the vaccine provider has access to records showing the person has an eligible condition, those records serve as proof of eligibility. | 2/15/2021 |
| Managing COVID-19 Vaccine Inventory Using the Citywide Immunization Registry: This guide covers how to order and reconcile COVID-19 vaccine inventory, how to use the vaccine transfer module, and reporting COVID-19 vaccine wastage.
This letter discusses 2/3/2021 updates. |
2/3/2021 |
| New York City COVID-19 Vaccination Program Enrollment, Vaccine Ordering and Reporting: This guide addresses enrollment and reporting. | 1/15/2021 |
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Materials
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| Factsheets: For any updates to these factsheets, please visit www.cvdvaccine.com. | 12/2020 |
| Storage and Handling: | 12/2020 |
| For Reference: | 12/11/2020 |
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Materials
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| Fact Sheets: | 12/18/2020 |
For Reference:
|
12/18/2020 |
Additional Resources
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| US Department of Defense Memo on Secure Disposal of Vaccine Vials and Packaging Recommendations: The memo recommends that vaccinators either 1) treat vials and packaging similarly to medical waste by placing it in red sharps containers or 2) deface all or safely crush materials so it cannot be reintroduced or reproduced. After the products are sufficiently defaced, then dispose with regular waste. | 2/2/2021 |
| Guidance on Safety with Dry Ice: The Kentucky Hospital Association has shared a Guidance on Safety with Dry Ice toolkit. Given the impending deliveries of Pfizer vaccine packed in dry ice, there have been requests from hospital leaders for information for their staff that are less familiar with dry ice and its handling. | 12/2020 |
| Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): Health care providers are required to report any adverse events following administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in the VAERS, which is operated by the Department of Health and Human Services. Providers are encouraged to report any additional clinically significant adverse events, even if they are not sure if vaccination caused the event. Please refer to the FAQs section of the website for reporting details. | — |
Contacts
For questions related to New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution (outside of New York City), please e-mail covidvaccinehospitals@health.ny.gov.
For questions related to New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, please contact 347-396-2400 or e-mail nycimmunize@health.ny.gov.