SFDPH Influenza Vaccine Program

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Influenza Vaccine Program distributes State-funded influenza vaccine to local public health centers and other eligible agencies at no charge. SFDPH Influenza program participants agree to administer the vaccine according to program guidelines on appropriate use of the vaccine, proper storage and handling practices, and accurate reporting of vaccine usage.

• Eligible providers include local public health centers, nonprofit organizations, and community organizations serving clients who are low-income, under-insured or uninsured. Ineligible providers include for-profit organizations, organizations with the means to purchase flu vaccine, organizations able to bill Medicare or other insurance, and organizations whose client base is fully insured.
  
• The organization must designate a Provider of Record to be responsible for the overall compliance with SFDPH Influenza Vaccine Program requirements. Candidates are typically licensed as a Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician assistant (PA), Pharmacist, or a Certified Nurse Midwife with prescription-writing privileges in the state of California.
  
• Organizations new to the SFDPH Influenza Program should contact us at immunization@sfdph.org to inquire about eligibility.

Any eligible providers in San Francisco County can apply to be a part of the SFDPH Influenza Vaccine program. We typically enroll partners during the summer (July and August) prior to the start of the flu season.  SFDPH flu program partners must have an account in myCAvax, California's vaccine management system. Please email immunization@sfdph.org to request more information on how to enroll in the SFDPH Influenza Vaccine Program.

• State-funded influenza vaccine is primarily intended for uninsured or underinsured adults but may also be used for persons 6 months or older with no other accessible source of flu vaccine.
  
• No fee should be charged for the vaccine itself, and no more than $2.00 can be charged for vaccine administration.
  
• Medical staff should exercise medical judgement in prescribing influenza immunization and screen patients for contraindications before vaccine administration.
  
• Each person receiving flu vaccine should receive a copy of the Influenza Vaccine Information Statement (VIS).
  
• Per California’s Mercury Law, Children under 3 years of age and women who are knowingly pregnant must be given only preservative-free vaccine.

• Records of each influenza immunization given should be retained for at least 3 years. Providers may choose to use the Influenza Vaccination Authorization Record form developed by SFDPH.
  
• Program participants are required to enter all doses administered into the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) database. Contact the CAIR Helpdesk or call (800) 578-7889 if you do not already have an account. MyTurn, California's vaccine administration system, also supports quick entry of doses into CAIR.

Program participants must submit a Mid-Year and a Final Usage Report with an accounting of doses administered by vaccine formulation and age group.

• Program partners agree to follow CDPH standards for storage and handling of vaccine, including standards related to the transport of vaccine to community locations for vaccination clinics. Information on storage and handling may be found on EZIZ.
  
• Program participants must designate a Vaccine Coordinator and Backup Coordinator who are responsible for ensuring their site’s adherence to all storage and handling guidelines.
  
• SFDPH conducts annual on-site or remote storage and handling check-ups to a selection of program participants, to ensure that influenza vaccines are stored and handled according to the above standards. We are also available to assist as needed if your site encounters barriers to meeting vaccine storage and handling requirements or would like training for new or existing staff.
  
• In the event of a temperature excursion, label all exposed vaccine “DO NOT USE” and contact the manufacturer about the viability of doses. You must notify the SFDPH IZ program as soon as possible and complete an incident report form to document what happened and the outcome.

• Vaccine can be shipped directly or picked up locally from our SFDPH office. In general, orders of 100 doses or more should be via direct shipment. Vaccine coordinators should ensure compliance with CDPH standards for receiving vaccine orders and/or transporting vaccines.
  
• Contact the SFDPH Immunization Program before returning vaccine. Do not discard vaccine.
  
• Notify SFDPH as early as possible if your organization has viable flu vaccine doses you will not be able to use so that they can be redistributed to other organizations. Do not remove unused vaccines from original boxes.
  
• Any expired flu vaccine should be returned at the end of the season per program instructions.

Last updated: 3/31/26