KEYWORDS:
VFC, vaccine accountability

BACKGROUND:
Vaccine shortages, national crisis, budgeting, special order vaccines, and annual provider profiles impact order processing. Procedures implemented by NJ VFC assure vaccine accountability while maintaining high levels of customer service.

OBJECTIVE(S):
To assure vaccine accountability while equitably distributing supplies of vaccines.

METHOD(S):
Enhanced approaches are used by NJ VFC to assure that vaccine accountability is an integral part of the vaccine order processing systems. Special order vaccines are reviewed for approval (hepatitis A, hepatitis B Adult, measles, and pneumococcal) to verify the provider's need for the vaccine and appropriateness of the quantity ordered. Order processing is used to track annual provider profile submissions and identify those not up-to-date.
An equitable method to distribute limited supplies of vaccine (such as DTaP and Prevnar, among others) was implemented with the goal is to have adequate amounts distributed to sites for immunizing according to State and federal guidelines, while prohibiting stock-piling at the provider level. Orders are processed by order date to assure all providers are treated equally in their receipt of vaccine.

RESULT(S):
Provider profiles and vaccine allowances have been useful in defining amount of vaccine to cover given time-frames. Guidelines are essential to the equitable distribution of under-stocked vaccines. NJ VFC has found that equity is based on providers' perceptions rather than our procedural framework.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
Our next goal is the creation of software to enhance VACMAN. Back-ordered vaccines, special order vaccines, and provider profiles will be entered into a computerized system, coded, and pended. These orders can be exported into VACMAN when ready for distribution. This will allow for a paperless tracking system, an enhanced reporting of order status, and doses committed against future bulk orders.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Learn vaccine accountability measures incorporated in order processing and techical systems to decrease manual paper tracking.