Ohio Department of Health…rules for providers in vaccination program

LFC Comments:

Ron Graham, Lake County’s outstanding Health Commissioner.

3/9/21

Here is a report from the Ohio Health Department. It provides the rules under which the local health department, and businesses must operate as providers in Ohio’s vaccination program.

Enrolled Provider Partner,

We are grateful for your partnership as one of the more than 2,900 enrolled providers across the state that are part of Ohio’s vaccination program. This email is an important reminder about expectations for all enrolled providers of the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • As an enrolled provider, you have agreed and stated that you are able and willing to receive vaccine.
  • At this time, providers cannot select a particular vaccine product they wish to administer. As a provider, you must accept the vaccine product that is shipped to you, and be prepared to store, handle, transport, and administer any of the three authorized vaccine products. [Emphasis added by LFC]
  • Vaccinations should begin immediatelyVaccine administration must begin within 24 hours of receipt of a shipment, and all doses should be administered within seven days. If you are unable to fulfill this commitment, contact the Ohio Department of Health immediately at 1-844-963-4829 or COVIDVACCINE@odh.ohio.gov so allocations can be adjusted promptly.
  • As a provider, your expected throughput is all first doses within five to seven days of receipt, which is at least 100 first doses within 7 days and 200 if second doses are needed.
  • You must provide vaccine to any eligible Ohioan. By participating in Ohio’s Vaccination Program, you must agree to provide vaccine to every eligible Ohioan, and you are not permitted to limit your distribution to existing patients and/or customers.
  • Timely reporting of vaccine administration is critical.  All providers must report vaccine administration within 24 hours. This includes the direct entry of the target population/occupation (TP/O) data in ImpactSIIS.  
  • You must continue to vaccinate Phase 1B and limited Phase 1A vaccinations. Providers should continue to vaccinate those previously eligible who are still seeking the vaccine. Limited vaccinations continue for Phase 1A through local health departments, the federal long-term care pharmacy program, and hospitals. Hospitals should follow updated guidance for ongoing vaccinations for Phase 1A hospital-based healthcare workers who are in frequent or episodic contact with COVID-19 patients or those who care for immunocompromised patients. Local health departments should continue to follow guidance for vaccinating 1A populations in congregate care settings and non-hospital affiliated healthcare workers.
  • No vaccine should ever be wasted – If vaccine remains unused, such as at the end of a vaccination clinic, the primary goal should be to provide that vaccine quickly to eligible vaccine recipients. When that is not possible, please administer vaccine to any available individuals who meet the FDA’s requirements for that product. Providers should always have a plan ready for urgently administering doses that remain at the end of a clinic.
  • Providers must notify the public about how to be vaccinated.Providers need to clearly and publicly state how they will administer the vaccine and make the information easily accessible. Providers should use all possible communication methods, including website and social media, and ensure information is frequently updated.
  • Vaccinating the vaccinators and protecting our healthcare workers is important and appropriate. Please limit use of allocated vaccine to no more than 5% to vaccinate your staff who are administering vaccine (e.g., five out of 100 doses may be used for vaccinators).
  • Ensure second doses are administered – All providers are reminded to ensure second doses are administered for those receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine is a single-dose product. A reminder about the appropriate second dose timing:
  • Properly store, handle, and administer vaccines – All providers must be prepared to safely store, handle, and administer the vaccines. Purchasing ultra-cold storage units is not required for any vaccine product. Ensure staff are trained on the different storage and handling requirements for each vaccine product. Read the Emergency Use Authorization fact sheets for each vaccine manufacturer below to learn about the requirements:
  • Be sure to obtain extra doses from vials – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says vaccinators can pull every full dose obtainable from a vial, but excess vaccine from multiple vials should never be combined to create one dose.

If you are a new provider and feel you cannot meet these expectations, please call the Provider Call Center immediately between 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at 1-844-9ODHVAX (1-844-963-4829) or email COVIDVACCINE@odh.ohio.gov.

How to look up vaccine shipments

If you are a new provider, be ready to receive vaccine. As vaccine becomes more widely available, more providers will receive vaccine. To check if you will be receiving vaccine, you can track your orders in VOMS.

To track your order in VOMS, log in to ImpactSIIS with your username and password.

The job aid Looking up COVID Orders in VOMS offers step-by-step guidance to help providers access order history in VOMS. Additionally, providers can view the order comment section to learn the intention of the shipment they are receiving (e.g., Phase 1A- second dose, Phase 1B – Week 2).

Be aware that you may receive shipments from both the manufacturer and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) RSS Warehouse in certain instances. (Note: Information about vaccine shipments from the warehouse are not available in VOMS until the day of shipment).

If you are receiving a shipment from the RSS Warehouse, you will receive an Ohio Health Alert via email from Ohio Public Health Communication System (OPHCS) and a phone call the evening before your shipment will be sent out for deliveryThis alert will indicate whether the shipment arriving the next day is for first or second doses.

About VMS

The Vaccine Management Solution (VMS) has rolled out to providers and will help Ohioans determine COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and offer streamlined scheduling, reducing the need for numerous phone calls or web searches. Public access to the web-based program began March 8, 2021.

All Ohioans can use the tool to determine eligibility and see existing allocated providers. During the initial phase, eligible Ohioans in several areas can book an appointment directly within the VMS tool. While VMS lists information for vaccine providers across the state, many of these providers are continuing to work through existing scheduled appointments and patient waitlists before adding appointment availability into the VMS tool.

Providers will be required to either report vaccines administered via the VMS scheduling system or an electronic health record (EHR) that interfaces with the state’s VMS system, no later than the week of March 22. The state anticipates this will enhance the customer service experience for Ohioans, reduce data lags, and provide real-time information on vaccination progress at the state and county level. T

Thus, over the coming weeks, full booking functionality will expand as more providers adopt the system or integrate with VMS.  As vaccines become more widely available and providers conclude vaccinating patients who still need their second dose, the program will allow direct scheduling statewide. 

Advantages of the program include:

  • Ohio VMS is a state-supported solution at no cost to vaccine providers.
  • It offers vaccine providers a consistent approach for scheduling vaccinations.
  • Ohio VMS offers more visibility to the public around how to get their vaccinations.
  • The more providers who opt into this program, the more helpful it will be for the public. This solution is maximized by the number of providers participating and is designed to offer a one-stop resource for Ohioans.

How to enroll in VMS

If you are a provider who has received vaccine allocations, you should have received an invitation via email, with instructions from the noreply@gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov email address.

Once your account is activated, providers can access the training materials and set up their portals to prepare to use the new system to inventory your allocations. Training resources are available on the VMS Provider Training page. This page includes instructional videos and a User Guide that will walk you step-by-step through the initial set-up and use of the new VMS system.

Visit the ODH COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Information Training page for additional information and resources.

The information in this email is included in the attached PDF file in case the links contained in this email do not work for you.

Thank you for your participation in Ohio’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program as a provider.

Sincerely,

Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Relations Team


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