We know that many of you are anxious to better understand the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process and to get started (or continue) providing vaccine to your patients.
CAFP has been working with the California Medical Association (CMA) and California Pharmacists Association to ensure that the process includes community health centers, pharmacies and physician practices. We know that including community-based providers as vaccinators is the only way to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines, address vaccine hesitancy, and get the vaccine to as many Californians as possible.
We know many of you have been trying for months to become vaccine administrators, and have met with various technological and/or bureaucratic challenges. While we will play no role in determining which practices will actually receive vaccine (that will still be the role of the state and the TPA/Blue Shield), we are providing input on the process to the TPA/Blue Shield.
Already, a limited number of practices are being onboarded into the system, so that when interested community providers are invited to participate in the vaccine network, the supports will be in place to ensure the process will be as smooth as possible.
Interested community providers will be required to contract with the TPA/Blue Shield to be able to receive COVID-19 vaccine. This first requires enrollment in the appropriate immunization registry and myCAvax.com. We hope that this will happen in the next few weeks. However, even if practices are enrolled, it does not mean that they are guaranteed vaccine.
CAFP will provide you with as much information as we are able. We know you are anxious to begin or resume vaccinating your patients against COVID-19. To help CAFP advocate on your behalf, we urge you to take this quick survey about your current involvement and interest in administering COVID-19 vaccines in your practice.
