Program Updates

Holiday Season Storage and Handling Reminder

Holiday Season Storage and Handling Reminder

Ensure your vaccines stay properly monitored over the holiday season!

The Digital Data Loggers (DDLs) provided by PDPH have limited storage space and stop recording temperatures when full. If you are using one of these DDLs, please download your DDL files before the holidays if your office will close or you have limited availability. This may mean downloading your DDLs earlier than usual to ensure they continue recording temperature readings for your storage units into the new year.

If your office will be closed for an extended time, you can reach out to our team to discuss temporarily storing your vaccine at our office for safekeeping.

As a reminder, when sending in your data, please always:

1) Email both your LTD (yellow and blue) and CSV (green) files to TempCheck@phila.gov

2) Upload your CSV files into the Clinic Tools module in PhilaVax

If you need assistance or have additional questions, please get in touch with our Storage and Handling team at TempCheck@phila.gov.

Vaccine Shipment Delays During the December Holiday

Vaccine Shipment Delays During the December Holiday

Submit orders by Friday, December 8!

During the holiday season – from mid-December to early January – the distribution center that ships vaccine provided through the Vaccines for Children (VFC), Vaccines for Adults at Risk (VFAAR), and Bridge Access programs will have reduced shipping capacity. Orders submitted during this time will take longer than usual to ship.

To make sure that you have the vaccines you need during this time, submit orders by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, December 8. These will be processed and shipped out as usual. Be sure to check the status of your order within 2 business days of submitting.

Continue to check for tracking information daily as FedEx and UPS shipping delays continue. Use this job aid to assist you with reviewing this information.

Orders submitted after Friday, December 8 may not be delivered until the week of January 2, at the earliest. The distribution center will return to normal operations on January 2.

For assistance with completing your reconciliation or submitting your order, email our team at DPHProviderhelp@phila.gov.

COVID-19 Vaccine Commercialization

COVID-19 Vaccine Commercialization

COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available for purchase on the commercial market and will be available to order through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. We have created an FAQ and will host town halls to help with this transition.

Commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines will transition vaccines previously purchased by the U.S. government to established pathways of procurement, distribution, and payment by both public and private payers. The Bridge Access Program will support providers to vaccinate uninsured and underinsured adults 19 years of age and older in Philadelphia county.

Commercialization of COVID-19 vaccine is expected to take place in August or September 2023, with the exact timeline still forthcoming. Click the button below to read the FAQ and learn more about COVID-19 vaccine commercialization.

Read the FAQ

On Thursday, August 10, 2023, we will host 2 town halls to discuss COVID-19 vaccine commercialization and the Bridge Access Program. Register for the town hall that best fits your schedule below.

Register for the 12pm town hall

Register for the 7pm town hall

VFC/VFAAR Re-enrollment Opens in Two Weeks!

The Philadelphia Vaccines for Children (VFC)/ Vaccines for Adults at Risk (VFAAR) annual re-enrollment period will take place June 1 – 30, 2023. For the fourth year, the enrollment will be done electronically through PhilaVax.To get your site ready for re-enrollment, complete these steps now.1. Update Clinic ToolsReview the information indicated for your site the Clinic Tools, Clinic Information module. Use these job aids to guide you though making needed updates to the clinic’s:

2. Make sure you have the access to PhilaVax you need.The vaccine coordinators and medical director must log into the PhilaVax IIS to access, complete and sign the electronic re-enrollment form. If you have not completed the 2023 User Confidentiality Agreement to renew your account or do not have a PhilaVax user account, use the link below to complete it now.PhilaVax User Confidentiality Agreement

If you have a PhilaVax account and need to update your password, you can email PhilaVax@phila.gov for assistance.Additional information and instructions will be communicated closer to the start of the re-enrollment period.Re-enrollment is a requirement for the VFC/VFAAR programs. Failure to complete the re-enrollment form will result in un-enrollment.Questions? Email our team at DPHProviderHelp@phila.gov.

Print and Digital Immunization Resources

We hope that 2023 is treating you well!We wanted to share some new resources with you from our team and the CDC. In addition to the digital resources linked below, we mailed out some great materials. Look for them in your mailbox this week!Looking for the most up to date immunization news? We got you!

Order Print Materials

IMPORTANT: The Immunization Program Website Address (URL) is Changing! Update Your Bookmarks!

On January 17, 2023, the PDPH Immunization Program website URL will be changing from vaccines.phila.gov to vaccines.phila.gov. Your bookmarked pages will need to be updated once the new URL goes live on January 17.

How This Will Impact Providers

There will be an automatic redirect in place, where anyone who goes to vaccines.phila.gov will be automatically sent to vaccines.phila.gov. But if you have certain pages on the website bookmarked, these links will have to be updated in January. If you don’t update those bookmarks after January 17, you will see a 404 error message.

Email vaccines@phila.gov with any questions.

Contact the Immunization Program!

The Immunization Program manages several email accounts to support providers and the public with immunization-related queries. Use this guide to determine who to contact based on the nature of your request:

PhilaVax@phila.gov: PhilaVax account support and technical issues (patient update requests, vaccine reporting questions, etc.)

Vaccines@phila.gov: General inquiries.

DPHProviderHelp@phila.gov: Medical provider assistance (Clinic Tools and inventory support, vaccine ordering and returns, reconciliation, staff changes, etc.)

TempCheck@phila.gov: Vaccine storage and handling inquiries (temperature logs, storage units, DDL technical problems, etc.)

Covidproviders@phila.gov: Adult COVID-19 provider questions and Bridge Access Program questions.

Prefer calling?

The following telephone and fax numbers are available for providers as well:

Storage and Handling
p 215.685.6777
f 215.238.6948

VFC & VFAAR
p 215.685.6728 / 215.685.6667
f 215.238.6948

Thank you for keeping Philadelphia safe and healthy!