The 2016-207 influenza season is upon us. Providers are expected to receive approximately 160 million doses of flu vaccine across the United States. The following tips will help you get your practice ready for the upcoming flu season.
Vaccine Storage
- Make sure you have enough room in your refrigerator(s) to receive your initial flu vaccine shipment. If you need additional storage, be sure to order equipment prior to arrival.
- Ensure that all expired flu vaccine from previous seasons has been removed from the unit
- Review your temperature logs and make sure your unit is capable of maintaining safe temperatures for vaccine storage. The unit should be set at 5° C and should not expose vaccines to temperatures below 2° C or above 8 C°.
Vaccine Shipments
- Be prepared to receive multiple shipments.
- Ensure that your facilities hours are up-to-date
- Alert office staff or staff responsible for receiving vaccines to ensure they are processed in a timely manner.
Training & Policies
- Ensure that all individuals who will be storing or handling vaccines are thoroughly trained
- Verify vaccine storage and temperature monitoring training has been completed by all new employees
- Review VFC vaccine eligibility and tracking procedures
- Train staff on how to prevent vaccine waste
- Prepare the office for flu clinics
And don’t forget to promote influenza vaccination throughout your facility. You can do so by stocking patient educational resources in the waiting rooms as well as the examination rooms. Use every visit as an opportunity to suggest an influenza vaccination.
Want to learn more about safely, efficiently, and effectively storing vaccines according to CDC & VFC guidelines? Join us for our upcoming webinar on Thursday, November 10th at 3:00PM EST, with Alex Evans, PharmD, CGP. Alex is the Pharmacy Manager at Seton Outpatient Pharmacy in Jacksonville, Florida, and preceptor for the University of Florida and Florida A&M University.
Image Credit: CNN
