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Minnesota Department of Health
April 1, 2021
Good afternoon,
Here are the COVID-19 vaccine provider updates for 3/26-4/1.
Legal IDs, proof of citizenship, and insurance are not required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. However, we are encouraging patients to bring their ID and insurance to the vaccination appointment if they have them.
Providers should ask for a full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and gender so that the dose can be reported to the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) appropriately. Providers should never ask about immigration status when administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
If a patient is wondering why you are asking them for their insurance information, you can explain to them that this allows you to charge their insurance for the administration fee. Let them know that they will not receive a bill. And if they do, they do not need to pay it. If someone does not have insurance, you must still administer the COVID-19 vaccine. If they want to learn more, direct them to About COVID-19 Vaccine.
It is optimal, but not necessary, to have an ID from the patient for reimbursement from a third party or the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program. Do not turn away patients that do not have state-issued identification.
If you are collecting information at the time a person makes an appointment online, please make it clear that they can get vaccinated without insurance or an ID. Give clear instructions on how to make an appointment without these items.
The provider guide and appendices at COVID-19 Vaccine Providers have had minor updates this week:
- Appendix A: Pfizer BioNTech: Clearer language was added to sections on thawing methods, diluent, and preparing individual doses (Pages 8-11).
- Appendix C: Janssen: New images were added to the vaccine preparation section. An additional phone number was added for Janssen and an email address was added for excursions (Pages 5-8).
Find them on COVID-19 Vaccine Providers.
The COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Site Planning Guide (PDF) is meant to be used as a tool to coordinate vaccine events with multiple participants involved. It will help with planning the event, making sure proper equipment is available, and informing people of their roles. Some events may have one person responsible for all these pieces, but many will require input from different parts of the group. Use this form to help organize and delegate duties, document what happened, evaluate preparation for the event, and modify preparation for future events, as needed.
Find it in Appendix D: Vaccination at Satellite, Temporary, or Off-site Locations, at COVID-19 Vaccine Providers.
Find guidance on labeling individual vaccine syringes for mass vaccination at Best Practices for Labeling Vaccine (PDF). It is located at COVID-19 Vaccine Providers and in Appendix D of the provider guide.
CDC developed a new reference tool, available at CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine: Quick Reference Guide for Healthcare Professionals (PDF), that lists the current COVID-19 products. The table displays general information, storage and handling requirements, vaccine preparation, and vaccine administration information. This has also been added to the Interim COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Guide (PDF).
VaccineFinder is a federal tool that can direct people to COVID-19 vaccine providers that have vaccine available. Providers may opt not to have their location visible to the general public in the VaccineFinder. This tool offers some different features than the state’s Find Vaccine Locations tool, so providers may find it useful to have information in both.
Right now, we are offering providers the optional opportunity to enroll in VaccineFinder. Providers can expect an email from vaccinefinder@auth.castlighthealth.com to begin the registration process. You are not required to register. If you choose not to register, your site will not be listed in VaccineFinder.
Please note that we are still reporting daily inventory on your behalf, so you will not need to report inventory in VaccineFinder.
Providers should only update their public display information. Instructions on how to do that are included below. You will need to access the system only to update information.
See below for an onboarding fact sheet, reporting requirements, and quick start guides.
Minnesota’s Find Vaccine Locations map
Additionally, COVID-19 vaccine locations can be added to the State of Minnesota: Find Vaccine Locations map. This page helps Minnesotans search for vaccine clinics near them.
Add or update your location at State of Minnesota COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Sites.
As vaccine supply increases, we expect Monday delivery timelines may be delayed for Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine orders. Many orders that were processed for Monday delivery last week did not arrive until Tuesday. This is likely to continue for the foreseeable future due to increased vaccine supply nationwide. Please plan accordingly when scheduling appointments.
Digital data loggers (DDLs) are the preferred method for monitoring vaccine. If DDLS are not available, this table provides other options for monitoring temperatures.
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Priority
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Temperature device
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Temperature Reading
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First choice
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DDL
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Check and record min/max before clinic day.
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Second choice
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Recently expired DDL (≤ 2 years)
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Check and record min/max before clinic day.
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Third choice
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Min/max thermometer
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Check and record min/max before and at the end of the clinic day.
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Fourth choice
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Digital thermometer
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Check and record temperature before and at the end of the clinic day.
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If your site redistributes vaccine, keep the temperature monitoring device’s probe in the refrigerator until you are ready to transport the vaccine, so it is at the recommended temperature when moving it with the vaccine into the transport container. Place the probe right next to the vaccine.
Learn more about devices at COVID-19 Vaccine Temperature Monitoring Devices (PDF).
Pfizer
Storage temperature before puncture
- -80 to -60 degrees Celsius (-112 to -76 degrees Fahrenheit) until the expiration date.
- -25 to -15 degrees Celsius (-13 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to two weeks.
- 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 120 hours (five days).
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Room temperature: 8 to 25 degrees Celsius (46 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 2 hours total.
Thawing instructions
- Thaw in the refrigerator: 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit). A carton of 195 vials may take up to three hours, whereas a fewer number of vials will thaw in less time.
- Thaw at room temperature (maximum 25 degrees Celsius/77 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes.
- Vials must reach room temperature before dilution.
Storage temperature after puncture
- 2 to 25 degrees Celsius (36 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 6 hours. Discard any unused vaccine after 6 hours.
Moderna
Storage temperature before puncture
- -25 to -15 degrees Celsius (-13 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) until the expiration date.
- 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 30 days.
- Room temperature: 8 to 25 degrees Celsius (46 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 12 hours total.
Thawing instructions
- Thaw in refrigerated conditions between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- After thawing, let vial stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before administering.
- Thaw at room temperature between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius (59 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for one hour.
Storage temperature after puncture
- 2 to 25 degrees Celsius (36 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 6 hours. Discard any unused vaccine after six hours.
Janssen
Storage temperature before puncture
- 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) until the expiration date.
- Room temperature: 8 to 25 degrees (46 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 12 hours total time.
Thawing instructions
- If vaccine is still frozen upon receipt, thaw at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit). If needed immediately, thaw at room temperature (maximum 25 degrees Celsius/77 degrees Fahrenheit).
- A carton of 10 vials will take approximately two hours to thaw, and an individual vial will take approximately one hour to thaw.
Storage temperature after puncture
- 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six hours.
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Room temperature: 8 to 25 degrees Celsius (46 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit)) for up to two hours.
- Discard any unused vaccine after these time frames.
Notes
- Once any vaccine is thawed – either in a refrigerator or at room temperature – do not refreeze.
- Room temperature time is cumulative. If vaccine is put back in the refrigerator you must label it with the time remaining for room temperature storage. It is not recommended to take vials out of the refrigerator and put them back in more than once.
Please make sure you enter the correct lot number in the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) for each dose of vaccine you are administering. This helps ensure quality data, including expiration dates of vaccine.
MDH is working with providers on reminder/recall plans to get clients who are overdue for the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine back into the facility to receive the second dose. Please implement reminder/recall efforts to ensure that clients receive both doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the two-dose series (Pfizer and Moderna).
We have seen a large increase in MIIC of providers sending race/ethnicity data with vaccine administration information. Thank you for all your incredible efforts in this area! Please reach out to the MIIC help desk if you have any questions about ensuring these data are included with dose administration data.
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