Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP) Overview

The information on this page will assist you in your vaccination efforts throughout the pandemic. Below are updates and resources for the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP).

Who can administer the COVID-19 vaccine?

This COVID-19 Vaccinators chart (updated October26, 2021) lists the different groups of individuals who can administer COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccine provider training and resources

• COVID-19 Vaccine Training and Education Resources for Providers page, which includes:
  • Training Required by Professional Qualification | CDC
• Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States | CDC

Eligibility to receive COVID-19 vaccine supply

All providers participating in the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP) are required to sign an MCVP Agreement to receive delivery of any COVID-19 vaccine.

• Providers must be registered with the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS), in order to submit immunization administration data.
• Providers registered with the MIIS all received the MCVP Agreement. New sites that register with the MIIS will receive the Agreement automatically. If you have not received the Agreement, contact the DPH Vaccine Unit at [e-mail]. The MCVP Agreement must be completed in order to receive vaccine.
• Providers must complete the onboarding process with the MIIS User Support Team to ensure that immunization data are being sent to the MIIS registry.

Additional resources:

• A letter reminding providers that they are obligated to provide immunization records to their patients when feasible to do so and instructions on how to view patient vaccination records reported to the MIIS:
  Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP) Letter June 21, 2021
• Download frequently asked questions about the MCVP Provider Agreement: 
  Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP) Agreement FAQ PDF | Doc, updated December 24, 2020.
• For answers to commonly asked questions about the MIIS, visit:
  www.miisresourcecenter.com/pages/ResourceCenterFaq
• Learn more: 
  Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Program (MCVP) – Guidance for Healthcare Providers and Organizations

COVID-19 vaccine storage & handling

CDC resources:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Quick Reference Guide for Healthcare Professionals
• Pfizer-BioNTech (COMIRNATY) COVID-19 Vaccine Questions: Vaccine Storage and Handling
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Questions: Vaccine Storage and Handling
• Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) Questions: Vaccine Storage and Handling
• Identifying, Disposing, and Reporting COVID-19 Vaccine Wastage
• Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit: COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Requirements

Routine vaccination during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Routine vaccination is essential to protecting our communities against vaccine preventable diseases. CDC and DPH recommend that routine vaccinations are maintained throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

• CDC recommends that provider offices identify children due for vaccination and schedule appointments starting with newborns and children up to 24 months, young children, and adolescents.
• COVID-19 vaccines may be administered without regard to timing of other vaccines. For more information on coadministration of COVID-19 vaccines with other vaccines visit Coadministration of COVID-19 vaccines with other vaccines | CDC
• For more information on immunization services during the COVID-19 Pandemic visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pandemic-guidance

US COVID-19 Vaccine Products

• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty gained FDA approval, on August 23, 2021, for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older.
  • Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 5 through 15 years of age and for a third dose for certain immunocompromised individuals and for booster doses.
  • The FDA authorized a second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on March 29, 2022, for older people and certain immunocompromised individuals at higher risk for severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
    • A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
    • A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. These are people who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are living with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, marketed as Spikevax gained FDA approval, on January 31, 2022, for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.
  • Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization EUA as a two-dose primary series for individuals 18 years of age and older, as a third primary series dose for individuals 18 years of age and older who have been determined to have certain kinds of immunocompromise, and as a single booster dose for individuals 18 years of age and older.
  • The FDA authorized a second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on March 29, 2022, for older people and certain immunocompromised individuals at higher risk for severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
    • A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
    • A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 4 months after the first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older with the same certain kinds of immunocompromise.
• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is available under emergency use authorization EUA as a single primary vaccination dose for individuals 18 years of age and older and as a single booster dose for individuals 18 years of age.