Information concerning COVID-19 vaccination planning and distribution continues to evolve. Below is a compilation of guidance materials specifically on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Please also refer to 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 |
|---|---|
| COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance: This page contains ACIP recommendations, storage and handling information, general vaccine administration guidance, and training and education links, among other tools and resources. | Updated on a rolling basis |
| Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States | Updated on a rolling basis |
| COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised | 9/2/2022 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Training Modules: Available training modules provide continuing education credits for Physicians, Physician Assistants, Advanced Practice Nurses, RNs, and Pharmacists. | 9/13/2022 |
| 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. | 4/7/2021 |
| Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit (updated to include information on COVID-19 vaccine) | 4/12/2022 |
| 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. | 12/11/2020 |
| For Reference: | |
DOH Guidance
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| DOH issued guidance on pre-ordering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages six months to 4 years. To ensure efficient rollout of this vaccine supply once authorized, the CDC is allowing pre-ordering of vaccines starting February 9. The minimum ordering quantity for this product is 100 doses. It has the same storage requirements as other Pfizer formulations currently available—10 weeks refrigerated or up to 9 months ultra-cold temperature). | 10/19/2021 |
| NYS Guidance on Third Doses of Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines for Immunocompromised Patients | 8/16/2021 |
| Ordering COVID-19 Vaccine in NYSIIS: Starting July 6, 2021, DOH is revising the COVID-19 vaccine ordering process in NYSIIS, transitioning from weekly planning requests via the NYSIIS Manage Prebooking module to as-needed ordering via the Manage Orders module. | 6/24/2021 |
| DOH COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance for People Who Are Pregnant, Lactating, or Planning to Become Pregnant | 5/11/2021 |
| Pre-drawn Syringe COVID-19 Vaccine Policy: This guidance refers to the pre-drawn syringe labeling, storage, handling, and transport guidance in the US Pharmacopeia COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit: Operational Considerations for Healthcare Practitioners | 5/3/2021 |
| Guidance for Hospitals Vaccinating Long Term Care Patients Before Discharge to a Long Term Care Facility: The guidance reinforces that Article 28 general hospitals are required to offer COVID-19 vaccine to medically eligible consenting patients prior to discharge to a nursing home or other long term care facility. | 4/4/2021 |
| Standing Orders: | 3/5/2021 |
| Statewide Vaccination Plan: The New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program overview. | 10/2020 |
DOHMH Guidance
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| NYC DOHMH Vaccine Information for Providers Page | Updated on a rolling basis |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| FDA Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Page | 8/31/2022 |
| Factsheets: For any updates to these factsheets, please visit www.cvdvaccine.com. | 7/31/2022 |
| Storage and Handling: | 11/2020 |
For Reference:
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Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Materials
| Item | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| Fact Sheets: | 8/31/2022 |
For Reference:
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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.
DOH Guidance Archive
| Archived Prioritization Guidance | Date Updated |
|---|---|
| New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program Guidance Update: Includes revised storage details for Pfizer vaccine, removing the minimum interval between COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines, and moving to notification-based redistribution process. | 5/21/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: All individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible to be vaccinated. Includes new “universal dose” administration policy for multidose COVID-19 vaccines. | 5/13/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: Addresses individuals that need to receive their second COVID-19 vaccine dose at a different location than their first. | 4/26/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: All individuals age 30 and older are eligible to be vaccinated. | 3/30/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: All individuals age 50 and older are eligible to be vaccinated. | 3/23/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: Enrolled providers other than pharmacies may vaccinate any eligible individual. | 3/17/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: Guidance reflects announcement expanding eligibility. | 3/10/2021 |
| Week 10 Guidance: COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands to individuals with certain co-morbidities and underlying conditions. Guidance covers prioritization and proof of eligibility. | 2/15/2021 |
| Week 9 Guidance: Addresses prioritization and new vaccine eligibility categories for weeks 9 and 10. | 2/8/2021 |
| NYS Vaccination Program Update: As of 1/11 COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expanded to include groups from Phase 1B, and on 1/12 eligibility updated to include 65+ | 1/12/2021 |
| Week 4 Guidance (Amended): Updates Week 4 prioritization groups to include home care workers and aides, hospice workers, personal care aides, and consumer-directed personal care workers. | 1/5/2021 |
| Week 3 and 4 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: Reviews Phase 1A prioritization; which providers will receive vaccine shipments; where priority groups can get vaccinated; vaccinator responsibilities; vaccine storage and handling; and information for OPWDD, OMH and OASAS. | 12/28/2020 |
| Week 2 Prioritization Guidance: Addresses prioritization for hospitals and Federally-qualified Health Centers that are receiving COVID-19 vaccine and alerts of their responsibility to act as vaccination centers for priority groups that do not work within their facilities. Guidance includes a worksheet. | 12/20/2020 |
| Week 2 Compiled Guidance Documents: Provides materials supporting the initial distribution of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and limited allocations of Pfizer vaccine. | 12/19/2020 |
| Archived Operational Guidance | Date Updated |
|---|---|
NYS Vaccination Program Document Package:
|
3/5/2021 |
| Commissioner Letter Concerning Using Second Doses as 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. | 1/23/2021 |
| COVID-19 Vaccination Program Redistribution Guidance | 9/29/2020 |
| Second Dose Guidance: Addresses both the Pfizer and Moderna second doses. | 1/11/2021 |
| Guidance on the Use of Vaccine Doses Remaining at the End of the Day: 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. In these circumstances, DOH authorizes providers to administer vaccine to other public-facing employees. | 1/9/2021 |
| Unused Vaccine Letter: States that vaccine shipments must be administered within one week from delivery, otherwise remaining doses will be redistributed to other facilities. | 1/3/2021 |
| Guidance for Administration of the Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine | 1/1/2021 |
| Guidance on Additional Moderna Doses | 12/23/2020 |
| Guidance on Storage and Handling of Moderna Vaccine | 12/18/2020 |
| Guidance on Additional Pfizer Doses | 12/18/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Transport Guidelines: Addresses transfer scenarios where an enrolled Vaccine Administration Site 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 redistribution of the COVID-19 vaccine beyond the identified primary receiving site. | 12/17/2020 |
| Guidance on Immunization Reporting Requirements | 12/13/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Form Instructions: Provides instructions on the new COVID-19 Vaccine Form, which DOH developed to ensure equitable access of vaccine across the State. | 12/13/2020 |
| COVID-19 Vaccine Screening and Model Consent Form: 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 | 12/13/2020 |
Initial Delivery Guidance:
|
12/10/2020 |
| Guidance Webinar and Slides: What Hospitals Need to Know | 12/10/2020 |
| Sub-prioritization of Health Care Personnel: This worksheet was provided to assist in hospital planning efforts. | 12/10/2020 |