Influenza Information For Healthcare Providers

When reviewing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, providers should note that the Department of Health defines a fever as 100.4ºF/38ºC for people with influenza-like illness.

Infection Control

Many organizations have issued influenza infection control recommendations, including:

• Department guidance on mask and respirator use
• Influenza infection control recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the Institute of Medicine, and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee
• Lancet article on preventing the spread of H1N1 to healthcare workers
• Infection control guidance for dental health care settings

Vaccine Provider Enrollment

H1N1 Influenza Vaccine

Providers should use the H1N1 vaccine provider website to register as an H1N1 influenza vaccine provider, report doses administered, edit enrollment information, and access related documents and resources.

Seasonal Influenza Vaccine

Every facility that will store and administer seasonal influenza vaccine to adults must enroll as a vaccine provider in Rhode Island’s Adult Immunization Program. Providers can enroll online to administer the vaccine to insured adults. A separate annual agreement is required before providers can administer the vaccine to uninsured adults.

Rhode Island’s Childhood Immunization Program provides seasonal influenza vaccine to providers for children 6 months to 18 years old. Providers who wish to use state-supplied vaccines for children must complete an annual agreement and enroll in KIDSNET, Rhode Island’s registry for immunization and other preventive services for children.

Information for H1N1 Vaccine Providers

There is no longer any need to prioritize patients for office-based vaccination. Please reach out to your unvaccinated patients, including healthy adults and senior citizens, and encourage them to get vaccinated in your office.

Advisories

• Memo to vaccine providers: Returning vaccine to the Wellness Company
• Letters to providers about H1N1 vaccine safety HEALTH | FDA | Fact Sheet
• Letters to prenatal care providers about H1N1 vaccination for pregnant women Nov 18 | Nov 5 | CDC
• H1N1 influenza vaccine distribution memo to pediatricians and family physicians Dec 7 | Nov 30 | Nov 3 | Oct 6
• Management of Influenza Vaccination in Patients with Suspected Egg Allergy (slated for Feb 2010 edition of Medicine & Health Rhode Island)
• Influenza Vaccination Coverage Rates among Pregnant Women in Rhode Island: The Importance of the Prenatal Care Provider Role
• Administration Technique for Nasal-Spray Influenza Vaccine

Reimbursement

Vaccine providers should refer to guidance developed by their individual insurers related to billing for H1N1 vaccine administration (UnitedHealthCare | Tufts Health Plan | Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island).

All providers administering H1N1 influenza vaccine should review:

• Medicare coverage and reimbursement rules
• Medicare policies and procedures for fee for service related to the H1N1 influenza pandemic
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention H1N1 Vaccine Administration Billing Questions and Answers for vaccine providers