COVID-19: Providers

Vaccine Information for Providers

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Are Recommended for Everyone Ages 6 Months and Older

On September 12, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended use of 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months of age and older. The updated vaccines are monovalent products targeted at the omicron XBB.1.5 variant. Data show that the updated vaccines increase the immune response against other circulating variants.

Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines targeted at older variants are no longer authorized or approved.

COVID-19 vaccines remain our best defense against COVID-19 and have saved millions of lives. Providers should offer and encourage vaccination to all their patients, especially those at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death.


The CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Will Discontinue

Steps for closing out the program are described here. COVID-19 vaccines are now on the commercial marketplace. Providers need to purchase vaccine for most patients through the manufacturers and bill for COVID-19 vaccinations as they do other immunizations.


If you do not offer COVID-19 vaccines, refer patients to Vaccine Finder to find a vaccination site, including hundreds of pharmacies and health centers around the city. Uninsured patients can find locations offering no-cost vaccination services on Vaccine Finder.


Products and Schedule

Updated 2023-2024 Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine products have been authorized or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is reviewing an application for authorization of an updated Novavax vaccine for people ages 12 and older. The ancestral Novavax product remains available.

Everyone ages 6 months and older should receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Everyone ages 5 years and older should receive one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of what doses they have previously received or if they have received no prior doses. One dose is all that is needed for patients to be up to date.
  • Children ages 6 months through 4 years should complete a multi-dose initial series (two doses of Moderna or three doses of Pfizer), with at least one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
  • People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should complete a three-dose initial series with at least one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine and may receive one or more additional updated doses.

Additional details:


Billing

With commercialization, providers can now bill for the cost of vaccine and administration as they do for other vaccines. Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial plans cover COVID-19 vaccination, without patient cost-sharing.

Note: Providers cannot bill for the cost of a vaccine received at no cost from federal programs, including doses from the Vaccines for Children or Vaccines for Adults/Bridge Access Program.


Reporting

Providers administering COVID-19 vaccine to adults ages 19 years and older must now seek patient consent for reporting to the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR), similar to other vaccines administered to adults. Work with your electronic health record (EHR) vendor to ensure the consent field is sent from the EHR to CIR.

CIR reporting is required for all vaccines administered to children 0 to 18 years, including updated COVID-19 vaccines.

Certain adverse events must be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).


Vaccines for Uninsured Individuals

No-cost vaccines for patients who are uninsured and underinsured are available to eligible providers through two federal programs:

  • Vaccines for Children (VFC) program – Providers can fill out this form to begin the VFC enrollment process. Refer to the NYC VFC Provider Requirements for more information.
  • Vaccines for Adults (VFA), also known as the Bridge Access Program for COVID-19 Vaccines – The Health Department will receive a limited supply of vaccine to distribute to providers through this new program. Providers with large numbers of uninsured adults will be prioritized to receive doses. Enrollment information will be provided soon.

Patients without insurance or whose insurance does not cover the cost of vaccination can also find vaccines at the following pharmacies participating in the federal Bridge Access Program:

  • CVS
  • Walgreens
  • eTrue North, an aggregator that subcontracts with smaller pharmacies

The Health Department also funds certain health centers to provide no-cost COVID-19 and flu vaccination services to people who are uninsured and underinsured.

NYC’s Vaccine Finder website lists sites offering no-cost vaccine.