Vaccine Program

Enrollment, eligibility, and compliance training for providers receiving state-supplied vaccine.

Enrollment

Healthcare providers who wish to receive vaccine from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Immunization Division must re-enroll into the State Vaccine Program each year. The Enrollment Cover Letter and the Agreement to Comply with Federal and State Requirements For Participation in the MDPH Immunization Division provide an overview of the enrollment process and programmatic requirements. 

Below are the requirements for enrolling in the MDPH State Vaccine Program:

1. Each provider must read and review the Guidelines for Compliance with Federal Vaccine Administration Requirements and the Agreement to Comply with Federal and State Requirements for Vaccine Administration annually. The Medical Director must check the Agreement to Comply box in their MIIS enrollment profile to confirm that the requirements have been reviewed and agreed to.
2. Review the Restitution Policy to fully understand your practice’s responsibility in the event of a vaccine loss or mismanagement.
3. Each provider must ensure that all essential information, including Vaccine Coordinator’s, Medical Director, shipping/mailing address, shipping hours, practice profile and provider lists and accurate and entered into their MIIS enrollment profile.
4. Create a Vaccine Management Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Vaccine Transport SOP for your practice. SOP documents must be updated annually and if there are any changes to your site’s listed Vaccine Coordinators or Medical Director.
5. MDPH requires all enrolled practices (not limited to Pediatric Vaccine Program sites as previously required, but also extending to Adult-Only and Flu/COVID-Only sites) to store all refrigerated vaccines in pharmaceutical-grade or purpose-built refrigerators at all times, as defined in the Vaccine Storage Unit Checklist. Providers must complete detailed information on each vaccine storage unit in the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS). Updated temperature logs for each storage unit, also must be submitted into the site’s MIIS enrollment profile.
6. Both the Vaccine Coordinator and Back-up Vaccine Coordinator for pediatric practices must have documentation of a completed Vaccines for Children (VFC) Compliance Training for the current year in order to complete enrollment.
7. MDPH requires all enrolled practices to enter their current Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration (MCSR) license number into their MIIS enrollment profile.

If you have any questions about enrolling in the MDPH Immunization Division’s Vaccine Program, please contact the Vaccine Unit at [phone] or [e-mail].

Eligibility

All pediatric sites enrolled in the MDPH’s Vaccine Program are also automatically enrolled in the federal Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). The VFC Program requires providers to screen anyone less than 19 years of age for VFC eligibility at every immunization visit. The outcome of this screening must be documented and dated. Documentation of VFC eligibility may be captured in hard copy (paper) or through electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Many EHRs have created internal drop-down menus offering several options for VFC eligibility. Unfortunately, some of these options are not appropriate for use in every state or are not in accordance with VFC standard definitions. To establish consistency, below are the only options that should be selected when documenting VFC eligibility in Massachusetts.

• VFC Eligible – Medicaid: a child eligible for MassHealth or Medicaid, including Medicaid HMOs. This category may be selected even if the child has MassHealth or Medicaid as their secondary insurance.
• VFC Eligible – Uninsured: a child with no insurance.
• VFC Eligible – American Indian/Alaskan Native: a child who (or whose parent/guardian) self identifies as American Indian (Native American) or Alaskan Native. Please note that no documentation/verification is required.
• Not VFC Eligible: Any child with private health insurance.

In addition, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) may also utilize the following option when applicable:

• VFC Eligible – Underinsured: a child with private health insurance that does not cover vaccines.

The use of any other options, including, but not limited to: state specific eligible, local specific eligible, unknown or names of other specific programs is not acceptable in Massachusetts.

The documents Patient Eligibility Screening Form for Federally Qualified Health Centers | (DOC) and Patient Eligibility Screening Form | (DOC) can be used to document VFC eligibility for practices that do not have this capability in their EHR.

If you have any questions about screening and documenting VFC eligibility, please call the Assessment Unit at [phone].

Compliance Training Webinar

The Vaccine Coordinator and Back-up Vaccine Coordinator at each pediatric provider receiving vaccines from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Immunization Division are required to complete an annual VFC Compliance Training.

This training requirement may be fulfilled in a number of ways, including by attending an MDPH event listed on the Immunization Division’s events page, which includes a VFC Compliance/Vaccine Storage & Handling Webinar. A pre-recorded version of the webinar, VFC Compliance Training Webinar, is also available to be completed on your time. Please note that the online version of the webinar must be completed in one sitting (including the short post-test) to receive your completion certificate. Always keep your training certificates on file as it is documentation that you have completed the annual training requirement.