California COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Vaccine Distribution

The California Department of Public Health is working with California's local health departments to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. Local health departments are identifying facilities that have the capacity to properly maintain COVID-19 vaccine and meet additional federal and state requirements.

Enrollment is limited at this time to providers authorized by their local health department (LHD). Others may enroll in January as vaccine supply increases. More information will become available.

Vaccine Availability

Vaccines will become available in phases as supplies increase.

• Phase 1: Limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccine doses are available. Efforts will focus on reaching critical populations.
• Phase 2: More doses will be available. Focus will be on providing vaccine to more prioritized populations. 
• Phase 3: Enough doses for entire population will be available. Focus will be on ensuring equitable vaccination access across the entire population.

Ancillary Supply Kits 

Each vaccine order will come with a kit containing an appropriate amount of supplies, including

• needles 
• syringes  
• alcohol prep pads 
• surgical masks and face shields for vaccinators 
• COVID-19 vaccination record cards for vaccine recipients.

Other supplies may need to be provided by the provider sites.

Information on this page is subject to change. Visit the CDC website for more information about vaccine development. 

Enrollment Requirements 

Providers must be credentialed/licensed in the jurisdiction where vaccination takes place, complete all required training, and comply with federal and state requirements which include: 

1. Administering COVID-19 vaccine in accordance with ACIP recommendations (still pending). 
2. Must report patient and COVID-19 vaccine dose and adjuvant (if applicable) information to local immunization registry (e.g. CAIR2, Healthy Futures or SDIR, depending on your county) within 24 hours of vaccine administration.  The provider must maintain the vaccine administration records for at least 3 years following vaccination, or longer if required by law. These records must be made available to any federal, state, local, or territorial public health department to the extent authorized by law.  
3. Not selling or seeking reimbursement for COVID-19 vaccine and any adjuvant, syringes, needles, or other constituent products and ancillary supplies provided by the federal government.  
4. Administering COVID-19 vaccine regardless of the vaccine recipient's ability to pay.  
5. Providing an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) fact sheet or vaccine information statement (VIS), as applicable, to each vaccine recipient/parent/legal representative prior to vaccination. 
6. Complying with CDC requirements for vaccine management, including storage and handling, temperature monitoring at all times, complying with CDPH policies for dealing with temperature excursions, and monitoring expiration dates.  
7. Reporting COVID-19 vaccines and adjuvants that were unused, spoiled, expired, or wasted.  
8. Complying with federal instruction regarding disposal of unused COVID-19 vaccine and adjuvant.  
9. Reporting adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). 
10. Providing a completed COVID-19 vaccination record to every vaccine recipient/parent/legal representative.  
11. Complying with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's requirements, including EUA-related requirements, if applicable. Providers must also administer COVID-19 vaccine in compliance with all applicable state and territorial vaccine laws.  

Additional state requirements may apply.

Required Training 

Providers and key practice staff (overseeing or handling COVID-19 vaccines) will need to complete training before enrolling in the California COVID-19 Vaccine Program. Training topics include: 

• Program requirements
• COVID-19 vaccine storage and handling
• Vaccine administration
• Vaccine management

View training and resources.

COVID-19 Call Center

The COVID-19 Call Center for Providers is dedicated to medical providers in California and their COVID-19 response, specifically addressing questions about program requirements, enrollment, and vaccine distribution.