It's Not Too Late to Vaccinate Against the Flu!

CDC reports influenza activity remains high and increased slightly this week; please continue vaccinating through the winter months to prevent flu from spreading further.

We are well into the cold, wintery months and it is not too late to recommend the flu shot to all patients 6 months and older to ensure that they are protected against influenza. Generally, flu activity peaks between December and February, though it may last through spring. So, take every opportunity to make a flu vaccination recommendation at every visit. It makes a difference! Please see the link below for flu materials to post in your practice. All materials are free for download.

CDC Flu Print Materials 

CDC releases 2020 version of  Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit

CDC’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit has just been updated for 2020. This 48-page guide reflects the best practices for vaccine storage and handling compiled from ACIP recommendations, product information from vaccine manufacturers, and scientific studies.  

The 2020 Child/Adolescent and Adult Immunization Schedules are now available!

IMPORTANT: Deactivated accounts in ImmPact 

On February 3, 2020, several ImmPact User Accounts were manually deactivated due to missing required documentation. If you have been deactivated, you will need to submit your 2020 ImmPact User Agreement. In addition, if you order Varicella and MMR-V, please be sure to submit your Varicella and MMR-V Eligibility Form. 

The correct form for the Primary Vaccine coordinator is the ImmPact Administrator Form.  This is the only one we need for sites receiving state-supplied vaccine from us.

The Primary Vaccine Coordinator is responsible for all other users. Those users would need to sign the Individual ImmPact User Agreement and these should be kept on file at your site in the event of an audit. 

Sites that do not receive state-supplied vaccines (school nurses, WIC, Head Start, etc.) would use the Individual Non-vaccine User Agreement.

Individual Non-Vaccine User Agreement – Intended for users at sites that do not get vaccines from Maine Immunization Program (MIP). This form will be filled out and signed by the individual user and faxed to the Maine Immunization Program. MIP will set up this user.

ImmPact Administrator Agreement– Intended for the vaccine coordinator. This form will be filled out and signed by the vaccine coordinator, as well as signed by the organization’s authorizing person.  This form will be faxed to ImmPact.  MIP will set up this user. This user has all functions, including the responsibility to set up and edit users at their organization.

Individual - The ImmPact Individual User Agreement – Intended for users at sites that get vaccines from MIP but are not the vaccine coordinators. This form will be filled out and signed by the individual user, as well as signed by the ImmPact Administrator. This form will be kept on file with the organization and made available to Maine Immunization Program upon request for 4 years. 

You can access the forms below:

Individual Non-Vaccine User Agreement (PDF)

Individual - The ImmPact Individual User Agreement (PDF) 

ImmPact Administrator (PDF) 

varicella-eligibility-request-form.pdf

** Additionally, if your Annual Required Training has not been completed, your ordering will be suspended in the upcoming week **

You may complete your training at the following link:

Annual Required Training

Choosing the Correct Eligibility Status when Screening Patients 

Eligibility documentation of each child receiving MIP-supplied vaccine at every visit is required. During a child’s initial visit, eligibility must be documented per MIP guidelines. Every subsequent visit must contain the child’s eligibility information.

It is important that the correct eligibility category is chosen each and every time a child is screened. If you are unsure, please do not hesitate to contact us for help!

Below are the categories to choose from within ImmPact:

• State-Eligible-Insured-Under 19
• Private Stock
• VFC Eligible - Medicaid/MaineCare-Under19
• VFC Eligible - Not Insured
• VFC Eligible - American Indian/Alaskan Native
• VFC Eligible - Underinsured
• 317 Eligible - Uninsured Adult 

For more information on eligibility, please refer to MIP's Policies and Procedure Manual:

https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/immunization/documents/MIP-Policies-and-Procedures.pdf