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As we move into the holiday season, many clinics and health departments adjust hours or close for several days. This is a great time to double-check your procedures for monitoring vaccine storage temperatures. Maintaining proper temperatures is essential to protecting vaccine viability — and ensuring that every dose you administer is safe and effective.
Even when a facility is closed, no more than three consecutive days may pass without manually checking and recording storage unit temperatures. This requirement applies during weekends, holiday breaks and any planned closures. Making arrangements ahead of time helps ensure that temperature checks remain consistent, and that staff know who is responsible for documenting readings.
Tips to help your team stay prepared:
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Plan coverage early. Identify staff who can access the building to perform manual temperature checks during extended closures.
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Review data logger access. Make sure designated staff know how to view and record temperatures properly.
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Confirm emergency contacts. Ensure staff know who to call if temperatures fall out of range.
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Document everything. Manual checks must be logged and retained according to Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Vaccines for Adults (VFA) program requirements.
Taking a few moments now to coordinate coverage and confirm procedures can prevent costly vaccine losses later. Thank you for your continued commitment to maintaining high standards in vaccine storage and handling—especially during the busy holiday season!
If you have any questions or concerns please contact your Regional Immunization Nurse or the Nurse on Call via phone at 877-296-0464 or email kdhe.immconsultant@ks.gov.
Related Links:
Vaccines-for-Children-Policy-and-Procedure-Manual-PDF
With multiple pneumococcal vaccines now available, determining the correct vaccination schedule for adult patients can feel overwhelming. To support clinical decision-making, the PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor is an easy-to-use online tool designed to guide healthcare providers through pneumococcal vaccination recommendations. A free mobile app version is also available for quick access during patient visits.
Simply enter the patient’s age and pneumococcal vaccination history, and the tool instantly provides the recommended vaccine and schedule. It is straightforward, reliable and especially useful when caring for adults with chronic conditions or complex immunization histories.
We encourage all providers and clinical staff to bookmark the PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor webpage or download the app. With evolving recommendations and new vaccines on the market, this resource helps ensure every patient receives the right pneumococcal protection at the right time.
Keeping immunization practices current can be challenging, especially as vaccine products and recommendations evolve. To support clinical workflows, Immunize.org has released updated standing order templates for the 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccines.
These standing orders help healthcare providers, nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare teams streamline vaccination by outlining clear guidance on patient screening, vaccine indications, dosing, administration, contraindications, documentation and follow-up care. They are designed to promote consistency, reduce errors and save time during busy clinic operations.
Templates are available for both pediatric and adult vaccination and can be easily downloaded, customized to your practice setting and implemented under your medical director’s approval.
Providers are encouraged to review and adopt the updated standing orders to ensure alignment with current recommendations and support efficient, confident COVID-19 vaccination services.
Related Links:
Influenza causes a significant burden on the health of Americans during most influenza seasons and remains a serious threat due its potential to cause severe illness and death. Annual influenza vaccinations for people aged 6 months and older is an important way to reduce the risk of influenza and its potentially serious complications that can result in hospitalization and death. Testing for influenza virus infection can guide clinical management, including appropriate antiviral treatment, which is particularly important for people at higher risk for progression to severe disease from influenza — regardless of influenza vaccination status.
During this COCA Call, presenters will provide an overview of the burden of influenza disease and discuss recommendations for influenza vaccination, testing and treatment for people of all ages for the 2025-2026 season.
If you are unable to attend the live session of this COCA Call, the closed-captioned video and transcript will be available on the COCA Call webpage approximately one week after the live session.
The slide set will be available on the day of the call on the COCA Call webpage under Webinar.
Free Continuing Education (CE) will be offered for this COCA Call.
Date: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
Webinar Link: A few minutes before the webinar begins, please click here to join.
The CDC and FDA work together to manage the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a vaccine safety monitoring system. Anyone — patients, parents, healthcare providers, and vaccine manufactures — can and is encouraged to report an adverse event to VAERS. Completing a VAERS report is a simple process that provides valuable information to ensure the continued safety of vaccines.
Healthcare providers are actually required by law to report adverse events listed in the VAERS Table of Reportable Events. While each vaccine has specific related adverse events, these events are always reportable if they occur within seven days after a vaccination: vasovagal syncope and shoulder injury related to vaccine administration. VAERS also serves as a continuous monitoring system for vaccine safety.
Healthcare providers are also encouraged to report vaccine administration errors and any adverse events that occur after a licensed vaccine is administered even if it’s unclear whether the vaccine caused the event. While it is important to take the time to avoid vaccine administration errors, humans make mistakes. Using VAERS to report vaccine administration errors allows for persistent administration errors to be identified.
VAERS encourages online reporting at Report an Adverse Event to VAERS. While more information is appreciated, reports at minimum require patient age, date of birth, and sex; vaccine brand name and dosage; date, time and location administered; date and time when adverse event(s) started; symptoms and outcome of adverse events; and applicable physician contact information and medical tests. A VAERS checklist contains all accepted fields in a VAERS report can be used to make sure all data elements are identified.
Kristie joins us after a fulfilling 21-year career with the Federal Government. Most recently, she served with the Department of Defense in the NROTC department at the University of Kansas as a Finance/Supply Technician. She began her time there as a Human Resources Assistant before earning a promotion into finance and supply operations.
Prior to her DOD service, Kristie spent 14 years with the VA in Topeka as the administrative lead for the Employee Health Clinic, where she oversaw day-to-day operations and helped support the health and well-being of VA employees. Now retired from federal service, she brings a wealth of experience in administration, operations and program support.
Kristie is married and the proud parent of five children who keep her busy. Outside of work, she’s an enthusiastic sports fan — especially when it comes to KU, the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kristie can be reached at (785) 296-0866 and Kristie.Cortes@ks.gov
The 340B Drug Pricing Program next quarterly registration will take place Jan. 1-15, 2024.
If you have not previously registered, please contact Kristie Cortes, 340B Program Administrator. Kristie can be reached via email or phone number 785-296-0866 to schedule a time during the registration period for assistance in completing your registration. Please visit 340B Program for more information.
As we prepare for the winter season, please review the 2025–2026 Vaccine for Children (VFC)/317 and Direct-Ship Vaccine Holiday Shipping Calendar. This resource outlines shipping interruptions and modified delivery schedules for McKesson, Pfizer COVID direct ship, and Merck direct ship orders to help you plan ahead.
As you anticipate vaccine orders during the holidays, please keep the following in mind:
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Processing Times: Routine vaccine shipments from McKesson may take up to four business days to process before they are shipped. Providers with irregular business hours (outside Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.) may experience longer timelines.
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Verify Your Delivery Hours: Now is an ideal time to confirm that your delivery availability in KSWebIZ is accurate. Up-to-date business hours help ensure timely deliveries — especially since distributors may attempt delivery any weekday, including Mondays, based on your listed availability.
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Order Early & Maintain Adequate Inventory: To avoid interruptions in vaccine supply, please place orders early and maintain at least four weeks of inventory. Weather, increased shipping volume and holiday closures can all contribute to delays.
By planning ahead, we can work together to maintain a steady vaccine supply for Kansas communities throughout the holiday season. If you encounter delivery issues or have questions, please contact kdhe.vaccine@ks.gov
Please see the calendar and tips below for the shipping updates over the next month. If you have any questions/concerns, please contact the 340B Program. For urgent ACTIVE Tuberculosis medication orders please email kdhe.bdcpmeds@ks.gov as well as KDHE.IDManagement@ks.gov.
- NO PPD, STI or TB shipments from Dec. 22 through Jan. 2.
- Routine medications/PPD solution distribution will resume Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2026.
- Please be sure to request your medications and PPD solution early and prepare for shipping delays as we head into the holiday season.
- Emergency shipments will be authorized at the discretion of 340B Program.
Ratelle PTC: Connecting for Sexual Health: The Connecticut STI Management & Prevention Series Dec. 4, 2025 at 11 a.m. CST
The Annual IAS-USA Washington, DC. Virtual Course: Update on HIV Medicine Emerging Challenges Dec. 4, 2025 at noon CST
Targeting Tuberculosis: A Clinical Trials Update Dec. 4, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. CST
Click here for our full training list.
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