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Immunization Best Practices
On this page:
Manage vaccine
Assess patients for needed vaccines
Talk with parents and patients
Administer the vaccine
Document vaccinations
Program billing
Information for the 2025-26 respiratory season for providers who give COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. The guides summarize vaccination recommendations, give tips on vaccine administration, storage and handling, and more.
Manage vaccine
- Vaccine Storage Guide
Two-page illustrated guide on vaccine storage temperatures and where and how to store vaccine in a refrigerator-only unit, freezer-only unit, and combination refrigerator/freezer unit. Includes tips for proper storage and management of vaccines. - Vaccine Storage Temperature Log (Celsius) (PDF) and/or Vaccine Storage Temperature Log (Fahrenheit) (PDF)
- CDC: Vaccine Storage and Handling
CDC guidance for storing and handling vaccines, including transport. - For information on planning and running a mobile vaccination site and considerations for transporting, storing, and handling vaccine review Vaccination at Satellite, Temporary, or Off-site Locations (PDF) and Transporting Vaccines (PDF).
Assess patients for needed vaccines
CDC: Assess for Needed Immunizations
Immunization schedules and guidance including child, adolescent, and adult schedules, job aids and immunization schedule apps.
- Pregnancy and Vaccination
Information about appropriate vaccinations to prevent serious complications from infectious disease for pregnant women, the fetus, and newborns.- Perinatal Hepatitis B Information for Health Professionals
Information on perinatal hepatitis B for health professionals, including reporting, clinical information, and immunization schedules.
- Perinatal Hepatitis B Information for Health Professionals
- Immunization Information for International Travelers
What vaccines are needed for people traveling internationally and where to get them in Minnesota. - Immunize.org: Guide to Contraindications and Precautions to Commonly Used Vaccines (PDF)
Guide designed to help immunization providers determine what common symptoms and conditions should contraindicate vaccination and which ones should not. - Immunization Assessment
MIIC's assessment reports can be used to track childhood and adolescent immunization rates among your patient population. - Client Follow-Up
MIIC can generate a list of due and overdue patients for recommended vaccines to send reminders. Providers can pull a list of clients and their contact information (including ZIP code).
Provide targeted outreach for vaccination of children and families in highly impacted communities that have experienced a high burden of vaccine-preventable disease and impact, including:
- Racial or ethnic minoritized population groups
- Rural communities
- People with disabilities or who have medical conditions that place them at high risk for severe illness.
- People who are uninsured or on Medicaid/Minnesota Health Care Programs.
- People who are experiencing homelessness.
- Refugees, immigrants, and others new to the United States.
Talk with parents and patients
- Talking with Parents and Patients About Vaccines
Resources for health care providers on how to talk to patients and parents about vaccination. - Reliable Sources of Immunization Information
Websites, videos, publications, and more for accurate immunization information. - Vaccines for Infants, Children, and Adolescents
Resources for your patients to know what's needed, track immunization records for school and child care, and access Minnesota immunization laws. As well as tips on how to comfort your child during immunizations. - Health Care Providers Serving Adolescents
Tips for vaccinating adolescents. - Current Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Coverage Rates
Current immunization coverage rates show who is up-to-date on their immunizations at the specific point in time.
Administer the vaccine
- Vaccine Protocols
Information and templates for writing a vaccine administration order, also called a protocol. - CDC: Administer the Vaccine(s)
CDC guidance for administering vaccines. - How to Administer IM (Intramuscular) Injections and SQ (Subcutaneous) Injections (PDF)
An illustrated guide to administering IM and SQ injections.
Pediatric vaccine administration tips
- Answer any questions the child or parent/guardian have about vaccination.
- Use these comfort measures to decrease pain and anxiety. Suggest the child:
- Sit in parent's lap with the parent embracing their child.
- Listen to their favorite music with headphones.
- Breathe! Take slow, deep breaths.
- Make eye contact with them.
- Close their eyes and think of a favorite place or activity.
- Focus on something in the room, like a poster.
How to hold your child during a vaccination (PDF)
Fact sheet with images and instructions for different comfort holds. Created in partnership with Homeland Health Specialists.
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Amharic (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Arabic (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Chinese (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in French (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Hmong (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Oromo (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Russian (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Somali (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Spanish (PDF)
- How to hold your child during a vaccination in Vietnamese (PDF)
Fainting (syncope) can be common among children immediately after getting shots. For this reason, experts recommend having patients sit in a chair or lay down when they receive a vaccination. In addition, patients may be observed for 15 minutes after vaccination. For more information, visit CDC: Fainting and Vaccines.
Document vaccinations
All vaccine administration has the risk of anaphylaxis. All adverse reactions and vaccine administration errors should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
- Submitting and Exchanging Data with MIIC
Resources for data reporting and exchange with the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC). - CDC: Document the Vaccination(s)
CDC guidance for recording the vaccinations in a patient's medical record.
Program billing
Immunization Program Billing
Billing resources for provider that vaccinate including setting up a billing program, contracts and credentialing, EFTs and managing and submitting claims.