ONC Investing $20M to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Data Sharing Efforts

As the nation continues to ramp up distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, providers will need to track patients due to receive the second dose of the vaccine and better identify high-risk patients.
 
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, acting through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), is making major investments to help increase data sharing between health information exchanges (HIEs) and immunization information systems.
 
ONC will award nearly $20 million in funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by former President Donald Trump in March to support the nation’s vaccination efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new investments will support opportunities to track vaccination progress, help clinicians pinpoint and contact high-risk patients, and coordinate appointments for patients due to receive the second dose of the vaccine, according to a press release.