Based on some questions we have received, we would like to further clarify the requirements around who should register in the H1N1 Flu Vaccine Registration System. The following guidelines are taken from the original announcement letter and include additional clarification in italics.
- We encourage local municipalities or regions to identify a single entity to coordinate vaccine allocation and distribution responsibilities for public H1N1 vaccination clinics, including those sponsored by or located at local health departments, schools and Emergency Dispensing Sites (EDS) in their community. The intention is for all doses of vaccine being given at local health department (LHD)-run clinics and public schools be coordinated thru the LHD. This does not include commercial or retail based public clinics.
- We also ask those pharmacies, businesses and other retail establishments interested in providing H1N1 vaccine to please work through your corporate offices for registration as a single corporate entity. We have received numerous individual enrollments from some of the chain pharmacy locations. We are holding these registrations aside and will coordinate their enrollment with their corporate offices.
- Sites that currently receive state-supplied vaccine for associated provider sites and clinics within their network or who intend to coordinate both H1N1 vaccine allocation and distribution for associated sites should register as a single entity. At this time we do not encourage LHDs to register for provider sites in their community with the exception of public clinics and schools as mentioned above. We do encourage provider or hospital networks or multi-site practices to register as a single entity.
- If you do enroll your network or organization as through a single, central vaccine receiving site please keep in mind that you will be responsible for:
- Receiving, storing, allocating, and distributing H1N1 vaccine and federally-provided supplies to sites within your network. AND
- Report vaccine usage by age group on a weekly for all sites in your network.
- MDPH will attempt to deliver vaccine directly to as many registered sites as possible. However, if the number of registered sites exceeds the limit set by the national distributor, we will contact you and link you to a local or regional distributor. Although MDPH may be limited in the number of end users it will be able to ship vaccine to, our intention is to have as much vaccine as possible delivered directly to the end-user. If the need arises requiring further consolidation of vaccine receiving sites, MDPH will make individual contacts to LHDs that have acted as vaccine depots in the past and work to establish provider/depot relationships. We ask individual provider sites to not make those connections now and to register individually using your own shipping address.
Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions please contact the H1N1 provider registration help desk either by phone 888-578-5585, 617-983-6898 or email MDPHH1N1Registration@state.ma.us.
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