Dear Immunization Partner,

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and the CDC are requesting that you make your provider page in VaccineFinder public. VaccineFinder is the portal that you’re using to log your COVID-19 vaccine inventory every 24 hours and can be found here: https://covid.locating.health/

Making your provider page public will allow fellow Philadelphians to search for vaccine clinics near them and therefore make it easier for them to be vaccinated. Your public-facing page will not display inventory information (i.e., number of doses on hand). PDPH has created a training video, linked below, to help you complete this process if you need:

Click here to watch the VaccineFinder Training Video

Please include any information regarding registrations for vaccinations, including a phone number or scheduling link, if possible, on your display page so that members of the public can more easily schedule appointments. As distribution and eligibility expands, it is important to promote vaccine opportunities that are currently available. If your site has the capacity to accept walk-ins, please also include this information on your VaccineFinder page as we hope to continue improving accessibility to vaccinations across the city.

We understand that making your VaccineFinder page public, posting your registration information, and allowing walk-in appointments may raise concerns. If you or your site are concerned, feel free to reach out to a contact at PDPH or email vaccines@phila.gov and they will connect you with a PDPH staff member to help you address your concerns.

Thank you for all the hard work you are doing to vaccinate Philadelphians!

Attention all COVID-19 Vaccine Providers: The CDC and FDA have called for a pause of use for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine. Please read the joint CDC and FDA statement below:

Joint CDC and FDA Statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

The following statement is attributed to Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen ) vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered. Usually, an anticoagulant drug called heparin is used to treat blood clots. In this setting, administration of heparin may be dangerous, and alternative treatments need to be given.

CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases. Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution. This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.

Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously. People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Health care providers are asked to report adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html.

CDC and FDA will provide additional information and answer questions later today at a media briefing. A recording of that media call will be available on the FDA’s YouTube channel.

Thank you for all you do to keep Philadelphia safe and healthy from COVID-19.

If you have any questions, please email vaccines@phila.gov.

All COVID-19 Vaccine Providers are required to submit an updated reconciliation the same day they place a COVID-19 vaccine order. Orders, temperature logs, and an up-to-date reconciliation must be submitted by Wednesdays at 5pm.

Moving forward, orders placed without a reconciliation will be rejected. It is each site’s responsibility to make sure that they are properly placing orders for COVID-19 Vaccine. This ensures that the vaccine ordering process is hassle free, and speeds up the vaccine rollout for everyone.

Additionally, please make sure your site is also reporting wastage by filling out our form for wasted vaccines.

Thank you for all you do to keep Philadelphia save and healthy from COVID-19.

If you have any questions, please email dphproviderhelp@phila.gov.

Attention all COVID-19 vaccine providers! Philadelphia residents who fall under the phase 1c COVID-19 vaccine priority group are now eligible to be vaccinated. With this announcement the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) acknowledges that a significant percentage of city residents in groups 1a and 1b have been vaccinated, and it is time to expand vaccine eligibility.

Click here to read more about Philadelphia’s Phase 1c expansion. 

Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a revision to their recommendations regarding the number of doses per vial available for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. COVID-19 Vaccine Providers may now extract and use 11 doses from Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine vials. The updated guidance can be found here, or by clicking on the button below, and the press release announcing the change can be read on the FDA’s website here.

Ancillary Supply Kits

While the FDA now allows for the extraction of an 11th dose of Moderna Vaccine, the ancillary supply kits that arrive with your Moderna doses still only support the extraction of 10 doses. We will send an update on the ancillary supply kits, and their expansion for an 11th dose, when that information is available to us.

If you have any questions please contact the Philadelphia Immunization Program team at vaccines@phila.gov. Thank you for the work that you do to keep Philadelphia safe and healthy!

COVID-19 Vaccine Providers, please make sure you are checking the expiration dates of your COVID-19 Vaccine and using vials with sooner expiration dates first. 

If you have vaccine that is going to expire that you are not going to use, please let us know at least 2 weeks prior to expiration, so we can move it to a provider who can use it.

This ensures that no vaccine gets wasted, and that we can work together to efficiently vaccinate as many people as possible.

Here’s how to find the expiration date of the different COVID-19 Vaccine Brands

Pfizer: Vials stored in an utlracold storage unit can be used until the last day of the month printed on the tray and each vial.

Moderna: The expiration date for doses stored in the freezer can be acquired on the Moderna website by entering the lot number that is  printed on the box:

Janssen: The expiration date can be acquired three ways:

• Scan the QR code on the outer carton
• Call 1-800-565-4008
• Visit vaxcheck.jnj

We may also be able to transfer unopened vials of Pfizer and Moderna that have been moved to refrigerated temperatures and are nearing their beyond use date (BUD).

To inquire about transferring expiring doses, please email vaccines@phila.gov with transfer in the subject.

Health departments across the country are seeing a new wave of COVID-19 cases. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) is seeing this same rise reflected in a distinct upward trend in our city. Despite Philadelphia being on the verge of expanding their priority populations for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, there are many highly vulnerable Philadelphians who still need their COVID-19 vaccine.

To reduce mortality within this new wave of cases, PDPH wants all COVID-19 Vaccine Providers to prioritize vaccinating Philadelphia residents 65 years of age and older.

As you know, vaccination is our best tool to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, the CDC released the results from a real world study that show the clear benefits of vaccinations across 4,000 individuals in 6 states.

By vaccinating the city’s most vulnerable residents, you are saving lives in Philadelphia.  

Thank you for continued work to keep our city safe and healthy. If you have any questions, please email vaccines@phila.gov.

Our updated  Vaccine Transport Guide details vaccine transport instructions for the Moderna, Janssen, and Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine.

Please visit our Storage and Handling page for more information about the storage and handling process for COVID-19 Vaccine.

If you have any questions, please email tempcheck@phila.gov.

All COVID-19 vaccine providers are required to report COVID-19 vaccine wastage to the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health (PDPH) daily. Please download our Wastage Reporting Guide for COVID-19 Vaccine Providers.

If you have any questions, email us at DPHProviderHelp@phila.gov.

Who can administer COVID-19 Vaccine in Pennsylvania?

Below is a comprehensive list of all potential COVID-19 vaccinators in Pennsylvania, by license type as of February 9th, 2021. The chart is broken down by license and the PA legal authority that is applicable to whether they may be able to administer vaccines.

There are other licenses that can have their scope of practice incorporate additional skills, such as an emergency medical responder, if the skills are approved by the Department and are published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. 28 Pa. Code section 1023.24.  Possible amendments to the PREP Act may also expand the ability of a license to administer vaccines in the Commonwealth.

To view or download a pdf copy of the document, please click here.

The Philadelphia Immunization Program has received many questions from residents about the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines. It the vaccine safe? Is it effective? What are the side effects? Different residents have different needs and we recognize that it is important to have specific FAQs that address specific questions for different populations and workforces.

In addition to the General COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ sheet, the Philadelphia Immunization program has also created specific COVID-19 FAQ sheets for childcare workers, congregate living facility staff and residents, essential workers, food service workers, long term care facility (LTCF) staff and residents, pregnant people, and public transit workers. These specific FAQ sheets are also translated into seven different languages. Please use the quicklinks below to click on the specific FAQ sheet you wish to download.

1. Childcare Workers
2. Congregate Living Facility Staff and Residents
3. Essential Workers
4. Food Service Workers
5. Long Term Care Facility (LTCF) Staff and Residents
6. Pregnant People
7. Public Transit Workers

Childcare Workers COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• Childcare Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

Congregate Living Facility Staff and Residents COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• Congregate Living COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

Essential Workers COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• Essential Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

Food Service Workers COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• Food Service Workers COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

Long Term Care Facility (LCTF) Staff and Residents COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

Pregnant People COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• Pregnancy COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

Public Transit Workers COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet

• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• Public Transit COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Go back to quicklinks.

The Philadelphia Immunization Program has received many questions from residents about the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines. It the vaccine safe? Is it effective? What are the side effects?

To help answer these questions, we have created a General COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ sheet in seven different languages. The FAQ sheet compiles the ten most frequently asked questions about the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by Philadelphia residents. Please select and download one of the files below and share it among your network.

• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• General COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

PDPH has also created more specific FAQ sheets for childcare workers, congregate living facility staff and residents, essential workers, food service workers, long term care facility (LCTF) staff and residents, pregnant people, and public transit workers. Please click here to access the specific FAQ sheets.

Don’t see your question listed? Please visit the city’s COVID-19 webpage for more FAQs and updates about the vaccine. Thank you for all you do to help keep Philadelphia safe and healthy!

Phase 1b of the city’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan includes residents over the age of 75. The Philadelphia Immunization Program is working with the city’s long term care facilities (LTCFs) to roll out COVID-19 vaccine distribution to this vulnerable population.

In conversation with our LTCF partners, we have heard many questions from residents and staff. It the vaccine safe? Is it effective? Will my medication interact with the vaccine? What are the side effects?

To help answer these questions, we have created a COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ Sheet in seven different languages.  The FAQ sheet compiles the ten most frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine by LTCF residents and staff. Please select and download one of the files below and share it among your network.

• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – English
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Español
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 中文
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Tiếng Việt
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet –  русский
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – Français
• LTCF COVID-19 FAQ Sheet – 한국어

Don’t see your question listed? Please visit the city’s COVID-19 webpage for more FAQs and updates about the vaccine. Thank you for all you do to help keep Philadelphia safe and healthy!

Our medical personnel contact form has been replaced with a COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form.

Please fill out our COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form for Philadelphia Residents and submit your contact information. We will connect you with where to register to receive your COVID-19 vaccine in the near future.

Healthcare Workers Seeking COVID-19 Immunization

To download a pdf copy of the document, please click here.

Immunization with a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is a critical component of the national strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and to help restore societal functioning. While the goal is to offer COVID-19 vaccine to all people who wish to be vaccinated, there is currently a limited supply of vaccine available. Initial vaccination efforts are focusing on healthcare workers who have a high risk of exposure to the virus and are at risk of transmitting infection to vulnerable persons. Residents of longterm care facilities are also a top priority. If you are a healthcare worker with both a risk of exposure and a risk of transmitting COVID-19, you are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination, as follows:

• If you are affiliated with a Philadelphia hospital or health system, check with their Occupational Health Services to learn when vaccine will be made available to your practice.
• If you are not affiliated with a hospital or health system, you will be able to receive vaccine through a local Pharmacy, Clinic, or Urgent Care. Access to vaccine at these sites will be appointment-based and for Philadelphia providers only. The ultracold storage requirements of Pfizer COVID vaccine makes this impossible to provide in these types of venues. When another product becomes available, it will be made available. Check back weekly for updates.
• If you are not affiliated with a hospital or health system, and have a large practice (>100 employees), you may be eligible to receive a direct shipment of vaccine for your employees. To qualify for receiving shipped vaccine, you must: (1) be located in Philadelphia; (2) sign and submit the CDC Provider Agreement form at https://vax.phila.gov/index.php/covid-19/ ; and (3) be able to transmit electronic vaccine administration records to the city’s data system (submit inquiry to
  Philavax@phila.gov).

If you have any questions, contact our team at vaccines@phila.gov.

COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Agreement Form

Our COVID-19 Provider Agreement form is here!

All sites intending to distribute COVID-19 vaccine must enroll as a provider. All medical facilities who regularly provide vaccine are eligible to enroll into our COVID-19 vaccine program.

Please refer to our Provider Agreement Guide to enroll as a provider for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Please review the Provider Agreement Guide in its entirety before filling out the agreement form and survey.

The agreement and survey form can be accessed here.

If you have any questions, contact our team at vaccines@phila.gov.

12/13/2020 The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, December 2020. 

Below is a summary of the report. To read the report in full, please click here.

On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. On December 12, 2020, after an explicit, evidence-based review of all available data, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued an interim recommendation for use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged ≥16 years for the prevention of COVID-19. The recommendation for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine should be implemented in conjunction with ACIP’s interim recommendation for allocating initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

12/13/2020 Vaccinating Pregnant and Lactating Patients Against COVID-19

Below is an excerpt from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist’s (ACOG) recommendations for vaccinating Pregnant and Lactating Patients against COVID-19. To read the full article, click here.

ACOG Recommendations

Pregnant Individuals

ACOG recommends that COVID-19 vaccines should not be withheld from pregnant individuals who meet criteria for vaccination based on ACIP-recommended priority groups. While safety data on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy are not currently available, there are also no data to indicate that the vaccines should be contraindicated, and no safety signals generated from DART studies for the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. Therefore, in the interest of allowing pregnant individuals who would otherwise be considered a priority population for a vaccine approved for use under EUA, make their own decisions regarding their health, ACOG recommends that pregnant individuals should be free to make their own decision in conjunction with their clinical care team.

Individuals considering a COVID-19 vaccine should have access to available information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, including information about data that are not available. A conversation between the patient and their clinical team may assist with decisions regarding the use of vaccines approved under EUA for the prevention of COVID-19 by pregnant patients.  Important considerations include the level of activity of the pandemic in the community, the potential efficacy of the vaccine, the potential risk and severity of maternal disease, including the effects of disease on the fetus and newborn, and the safety of the vaccine for the pregnant patient and the fetus. While a conversation with a clinician may be helpful, it should not be required prior to vaccination as this may cause unnecessary barriers to access.

Clinicians should review the available data on risks and benefits of vaccination with pregnant patients, including the risks of not getting vaccinated in the context of the individual patient’s current health status, and risk of exposure, including the possibility for exposure at work or home and the possibility for exposing high-risk household members. Conversations about risk should take in to account the individual patient’s values and perceived risk of various outcomes and should respect and support autonomous decision-making (ACOG 2013).

Pregnant women who experience fever following vaccination should be counseled to take acetaminophen, as fever has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Acetaminophen has been proven to be safe for use in pregnancy and does not appear to impact antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines.

Pregnant patients who decline vaccination should be supported in their decision. Regardless of their decision to receive or not receive the vaccine, these conversations provide an opportunity to remind patients about the importance of other prevention measures such as hand washing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask.

Lactating Individuals

ACOG recommends COVID-19 vaccines be offered to lactating individuals similar to non-lactating individuals when they meet criteria for receipt of the vaccine based on prioritization groups outlined by the ACIP. While lactating individuals were not included in most clinical trials, COVID-19 vaccines should not be withheld from lactating individuals who otherwise meet criteria for vaccination. Theoretical concerns regarding the safety of vaccinating lactating individuals do not outweigh the potential benefits of receiving the vaccine. There is no need to avoid initiation or discontinue breastfeeding in patients who receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Individuals Contemplating Pregnancy

Vaccination is strongly encouraged for non-pregnant individuals within the ACIP prioritization group(s). Further, ACOG recommends vaccination of individuals who are actively trying to become pregnant or are contemplating pregnancy and meet the criteria for vaccination based on ACIP prioritization recommendations. Additionally, it is not necessary to delay pregnancy after completing both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

If an individual becomes pregnant after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine series, the second dose should be administered as indicated. If an individual receives a COVID-19 vaccine and becomes pregnant within 30 days of receipt of the vaccine, participation in CDC’s V-SAFE program should be encouraged (see below for more information on CDC’s V-SAFE program).

Importantly, routine pregnancy testing is not recommended prior to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.