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Front Desk User Manual						Print
																Related Pages
										**On This Page**
			Your Roles and Activities in VAMSManage Recipients and AppointmentsAdditional VAMS FunctionalityUser Access Support
		
Your Roles and Activities in VAMS
As a Front Desk user, you are the first person who vaccine or COVID-19 test recipients see at the clinic. You will use VAMS to:
Check in recipients,
Create walk-in appointments, and
Cancel appointmentsYour role in VAMS is critical to the clinic’s success. You have unique activities that only you, as front desk staff, can perform in VAMS and some that you share with other users. The VAMS Role and Activity Matrix below shows the tasks available in VAMS for specific roles.
Your Roles and Activities in VAMSVAMS Role and Activity Matrix
Activity
Front Desk
Healthcare Professional
Clinic Administrator
Inventory Manager *(optional)*Serve as the clinic point of contact (POC) for your jurisdiction. *(Typically, the clinic administrator serves as the clinic POC.)*


checkmark imageManage clinic information (e.g., shipping address).


checkmark imageSet and manage clinic schedule.


checkmark imageManage (add, edit, and remove) VAMS clinic users.


checkmark imageManage clinic vaccine inventory.


checkmark image
checkmark imageCheck in vaccine or COVID-19 testing recipients.
checkmark imageCreate walk-in and future recipient appointments.
checkmark imageCancel recipient appointments.
checkmark image
checkmark imageConfirm recipient identity.
checkmark image
checkmark imageAdd and edit recipients in VAMS.
checkmark image
checkmark image
(Edit only)Administer and log vaccination (vaccine information, outcome, and waste if applicable) or COVID-19 tests.

checkmark imageView vaccine recipient next-dose eligibility date(s) (if applicable).

checkmark imageOther role-specific user manuals are available within “Resources for Jurisdictions, Clinics and Organizations”. If you have questions about specific tasks in VAMS that are relevant to your role or other roles at your clinic, quick reference guides are also available on this page.Manage Recipients and AppointmentsYou must activate an account in VAMS to use the system. After your clinic administrator enters your name and email address in VAMS, you will receive an email with a VAMS registration link.
Visit “Getting Started in VAMS” for directions on how to create an account in VAMS. If you need additional support for your role or have questions about creating an account, registering for VAMS, or accessing VAMS, this page has answers to common questions.
After you have activated your VAMS account, you can use VAMS to complete your everyday front desk tasks, including checking in recipients and managing their appointments.
**Account Creation: Frequently Asked Questions**How do I create my clinic staff account in VAMS?Search your email inbox for an email from vams@cdc.gov.
Follow the registration link in this email to register your clinic staff account (this step creates your account)
If the email isn’t in your inbox, check your junk or spam mail folders.
See the Activate Your VAMS Account section in your user manual for step-by-step help.*Click on the buttons below to go to the corresponding sections in this user manual.*
Check In Vaccine or COVID-19 Test RecipientsRecipient Check-inCheck in recipients manually or with a QR (quick response) code and verify their identity.Manage Recipient AppointmentsManage Recipient AppointmentsCheck appointment status and cancel appointments for recipients.Search For and Edit RecipientsSearch for an existing recipient to schedule a walk-in or future appointment, or to edit their recipient record.Add New RecipientsAdd a new recipient in VAMS.Schedule Recipient AppointmentsSchedule a walk-in or future appointment for a recipient.Recipient Check-in
As front desk staff, your main responsibility is checking in vaccine or COVID-19 test recipients. The process of checking in a recipient includes verifying their appointment in VAMS, confirming their identity, and confirming they have completed the required documents. **The check-in process must be completed before the healthcare professional can administer vaccine or a COVID-19 test to a recipient.**
The first step to check in a recipient is to find their appointment in VAMS. You can find recipients by either scanning their appointment QR code or by manually searching. Review the sections below to learn how to perform these actions.
**Self-Registration for Vaccination: Frequently Asked Questions**Can I use my clinic staff account to request a vaccination appointment for myself?No, you must register as a recipient to schedule a vaccination appointment or create a walk-in appointment.
To register as a recipient, determine if your state uses VAMS. If your state uses VAMS, you can **access VAMS here**. Click **Proceed as guest** to use guest registration and proceed with scheduling your vaccination appointment.
Use QR Code to Find Recipient Appointment in VAMS
The recipient receives a unique QR code after scheduling their appointment.
Use a mobile device to **scan the recipient’s QR code**. If you are logged into VAMS on the mobile device, scanning the QR code will take you to the recipient’s appointment record in VAMS. If you are not logged into VAMS on the mobile device, the log-in screen will appear, and you will need to log in before accessing the recipient’s appointment record.
After finding the recipient’s appointment in the table, click the **Recipient’s Name**.Manually Find Recipient Appointment in VAMS
You can manually search for appointments if the QR code is unavailable, or you do not have a barcode scanner. Follow the steps below to manually search for appointments:
Go to the **Appointments table**on the **Recipient Check-In**tab.
Use the drop-down in the table header to filter appointments scheduled for today, the next seven days, future appointments, or cancelled appointments. You also can sort appointments in the table by clicking any of the column headers to order the rows by those criteria.
Or you may search for an appointment by entering the recipient’s **Name**or **Email Address** in the search bar at the top right of the appointments table. Note that you can search the recipient’s full name, or just the beginning of their name. For example, you can find the appointment for a recipient named William Smith by searching for “Will.”
After finding the recipient’s appointment in the table, click the **Recipient’s Name**.Pre-vaccination Questionnaire Completion
**The recipient must complete the Pre-vaccination Questionnaire before receiving their vaccination (for vaccination appointments only).**
The system will indicate if the recipient has completed their Pre-vaccination Questionnaire. **VAMS** **will allow you to check in a recipient who has not completed their Pre-vaccination Questionnaire**. Please refer to your clinic’s check-in procedure to determine whether you should check in recipients who have not completed their Pre-vaccination Questionnaire.
Recipients should receive a notification prior to their appointment with a link to the questionnaire. Depending how far in advance the recipient scheduled their appointment, they should have received their notification within 15–20 minutes of appointment confirmation or 12 hours prior to their appointment time.
If the recipient completed the questionnaire, “The Recipient has completed the Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire” will appear on the Validate Recipient screen. If they have not completed the questionnaire, “Recipient has not completed the Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire” will appear, and you will be asked to choose between one of the options below:
**The recipient will log into their VAMS account or check their email to complete their****Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire.**
**The healthcare provider will complete the****Pre-Vaccination Questionnairewith the recipient at the beginning of the appointment.**
**Start the****Pre-Vaccination Questionnairein VAMS****.****NOTE:** The third option will only be available for clinics offering School-Located Vaccines/Vaccines for Children.Select the option that aligns with your clinic’s procedures.
If you select the first or second option, click **Continue**. This will take you back to the **R****ecipient****C****heck-i****n** tab.
If you select the third option (to complete the Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire in VAMS)and click **Continue**, you will be taken to a page with the Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire. Allow the recipient to fill out the Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire on the screen.
Once the recipient has completed all the required fields and clicked **Continue**, they will be taken to a **C****onfirmation** screen indicating that their responses have been recorded and prompting them to return the device to the clinic front desk.
**Vaccine Recipient Appointments: Frequently Asked Questions**Can I modify recipient appointments?Front desk personnel can cancel recipient appointments, but they cannot modify them.Is the Pre-vaccination Questionnaire editable?The questions on the Prevaccination Questionnaire are not editable. They are based on the CDC Pre-vaccination Checklist for COVID-19 Vaccines which is based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s EUA (emergency use authorization) and recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP). If you need to include additional questions, you will have to manage that process outside of VAMS.
Validate Recipient Identification
After clicking **Continue**, you will be taken to the **Validate Recipient** screen.
You must validate:
The recipient’s first and last name
Their date of birth (DOB)
Consent received (if applicable)
The recipient matches their photo ID, if a photo ID is required
Select the form of identification the recipient used, or select **No ID Required for this Clinic,** if applicable.
Recipients must reschedule their appointment if your clinic requires ID and they do not have a valid ID.
If a recipient does not have a valid ID, select **ID****R****equired, but****N****ot****P****rovided**, then click **Next**to cancel their appointment. VAMS sends a notification to the recipient asking them to reschedule their appointment.
If the clinic offers School-Located Vaccines/Vaccines for Children, the front desk will have the ability to validate health insurance information during the check-in process. You will be able to:Collect Recipient Insurance InformationIndicate whether the recipient has valid health insurance.
If the answer is **Yes**, fill out the **Insurance Provider**, **Group Number**, and **Policy Number** fields and upload files (jpg, jpeg, or png format) for the Insurance Card.
If the answer is **No**, proceed with remaining steps.Identify Funding EligibilitySelect the recipient’s **F****unding****E****ligibility****S****tatus** from the **Recipient Funding Eligibility** drop-down menu.**NOTE:**The funding eligibility will be stored and displayed on the **Log Vaccination** screen when the Healthcare Professional is recording a vaccination for the recipient.
Confirm Recipient ConsentIndicate whether the recipient (or their representative/parent/guardian) have completed the Pre-Vaccination Questionnaire and consent forms.
If all information is correct and the recipient is on time for their appointment, click **Next**.Manage Recipient Appointments
Appointment Status
Once a recipient is checked in, they will move to the clinic healthcare professional’s view in VAMS and will no longer appear in the Appointments table for front desk users.
If the clinic or recipient cancels the appointment, the recipient’s appointment status will change to “Cancelled” and the recipient’s appointment will appear under the Cancelled Appointments view.Canceling Appointments
You can cancel a recipient’s appointment by following this process:
In the **Appointments** table on the **Recipient Check-In** tab, click **Cancel**in the Cancel Appointment column.**NOTE:** If a recipient is already checked in but wishes to cancel their appointment, the recipient must either log into their Recipient Portal to cancel the appointment themselves, or the clinic healthcare professional can cancel the appointment for them, since checked-in recipients no longer appear in the front desk user’s view.A screen with the appointment details will appear.
Select a **Cancellation Reason**from the drop-down menu.
Click **Cancel Appointment**to cancel the appointment. Click **Keep Appointment** if you no longer want to cancel the appointment.A cancellation confirmation message will appear. Click **OK**and you will return to the Clinic Portal home page.
Auto-Cancellation of No-Show Recipients
If a recipient does not appear for their appointment after four hours, VAMS marks them as a “no-show,” then cancels the appointment. You do not need to take further action.
The system processes these cancellations once per day. Any no-show appointments originally scheduled before 2 PM will show as cancelled by 6 PM that same evening. Appointments originally scheduled after 2 PM will show as cancelled the following day. Cancellation emails for no-show recipients will be sent to them via their preferred contact method during these system processes.
**Appointment Cancellations: Frequently Asked Questions**If front desk staff manually cancel a recipient’s appointment, when does the recipient receive a cancellation notification?Recipients should receive a notification to their preferred method of communication shortly after you submit their appointment cancellation.Rescheduling Appointments
You can reschedule a recipient’s appointment by following this process:
In the **Appointments**table on the **Recipient Check-In** tab, click **View Details/Modify**in the View Details column.
Click **Reschedule Appointment**.
On the **Clinic Location**page, search for and find a clinic, then select an **Available Appointment Date** on the calendar located on the left side of the page.
Select the appointment time by clicking a **Time Slot**, then click **Next**.
Review the selected appointment location, date, and time with the recipient.
Click **Reschedule Appointment** to reschedule or **Previous** to make any changes.
After clicking **Reschedule Appointment**, you will see a confirmation that the recipient’s appointment is scheduled. The confirmation includes the appointment details and a QR code for contactless check-in. **NOTE:** If the recipient provided a contact method, they will also receive the appointment confirmation through their preferred contact method.Top of Page
Search For and Edit Recipients
When a recipient requests that you schedule them a walk-in appointment or a future appointment, your first step is to search for the recipient to see if they already have a VAMS account.
On the **Recipient Check-In** tab, click **Search for Existing Recipient**in the upper right corner.
You have two search options.
Enter **one** of these fields: **E****mail Address**, **C****ell Phone Number**, **VAMS ID**, or **External System ID**.
**OR**
Enter **all**of these fields: **F****irst****N****ame**, **L****ast****N****ame**, and **D****ate of****B****irth.** You can also enter the recipient’s state to further refine your search, but this is optional.
Click **Search**.
If the recipient is already in VAMS, their name will appear in the search results table. You can select the **Checkbox** next to their name, then click either **Schedule Walk-In**or **Schedule Future Appointment** (if a vaccination clinic) or **Schedule Testing Appointment** (if a COVID-19 testing clinic). See **Manage Recipient Appointments** for more information on scheduling these appointments.
If the recipient **does not** appear in the search results, you can create a new recipient record by clicking **Add New Recipient**.
Follow the steps in the **Add New Recipients** portion of this manual to finish adding the recipient.Edit a Recipient Record
You can edit recipient records for all recipients at your clinic. **This does not include vaccination or COVID-19 test records** (e.g., date of vaccination, vaccine manufacturer). You can only edit email addresses for recipients who have not registered their VAMS account. If an existing recipient does not have a VAMS account but would like one, you can create one for them by editing their information and selecting Yes to creating a VAMS account.
To edit the record, click **Search for Existing Recipient** on the **Recipient Check-in**tab.
Search for the recipient by entering the required information outlined above.
Once you’ve found the correct recipient, click their Name in the search results table to advance to the **Recipient Information**page**.**
On the **Recipient Information** page, click **Edit Information**to make any changes to the recipient record. Once you are finished, click **Save**.**NOTE:** You cannot use this functionality to edit the recipient’s vaccination or COVID-19 test record, edit the records of recipients who have completed their vaccination schedule, or edit the records of recipients who have already registered in VAMS. If a registered recipient needs to edit their record, they can do so in the Recipient Portal.
Add New Recipients
**Option 1: Adding a new recipient from Search**
If you searched for an existing recipient but they did not exist in the system, you can add them as a new recipient by clicking **Add New Recipient** from the **Search** page.
**Option 2: Adding a new recipient from the Recipient Check-In tab**
In addition to adding a new recipient through the Search function, you can also directly add a new recipient to VAMS from the **Recipient Check-In**tab by clicking**Add New Recipient**.
**Regardless of which option you use, you are directed to the same Recipient Information** **page.**
On the **Recipient Information**page, answer **Yes** or **No** to the question asking if you’d like to associate the recipient with a representative or guardian.
If you answer **Yes**, you must enter the representative/guardian’s first and last name and date of birth. All other information concerning the representative/guardian is optional.
Enter the required recipient details:
First name
Last name
Date of birth
Sex
Race
Ethnicity
Home address
Entering an email address or phone number is optional.
If you enter an email address or cell phone number, you will see a Communication Preferences section. In this section:
Select the recipient’s **Preferred Contact Method**(email, SMS, or prefer not to receive communications).
**NOTE:** If you select “I prefer not to receive any communication from VAMS” under preferred contact method, the recipient will not receive any notifications from VAMS, including appointment follow-ups.
Once you’ve selected a preferred contact method, you must select the recipient’s **Preferred Language**for messages (English or Español).
Entering the following information is optional:
Insurance information
Emergency contact
Whether or not you want to create a VAMS account for the recipient.
**NOTE:**If you select to create a VAMS account, VAMS will send the recipient a registration email or SMS, based on their preferred contact method.
Once you’ve entered all applicable information, click **Next.**
Review the information provided and check the **Box**at the bottom of the screen, confirming you have reviewed the information with the recipient, and it is accurate.
Click **Submit**.
Once you’ve created the recipient, you can click either **Schedule Walk-in** or**Schedule Future Appointment** (if a vaccination clinic) or **Schedule a COVID-19 Testing Appointment** (if a COVID-19 testing clinic). See **Manage Recipient Appointments** for more information on scheduling these appointments.
**NOTE:** If you attempt to create a VAMS account for a user with a preferred contact method (email or cell phone) that is already associated with an existing VAMS account, you will receive an error message asking you to either change the preferred contact method to register a new account or choose not to create an account and proceed as a guest. If you select “No” to creating a VAMS account, a pop-up window will ask if you want to link the new registration to the existing VAMS account.Bulk Import Recipients
You can bulk import recipients to your clinic by clicking **Import Recipients**under the **Recipient Check-In** tab.
In the **Import Recipients**pop-up window, click the **Recipient Import Template Version 9.0** hyperlink to download and fill out the recipient import template.Click **Upload Files** and upload your completed import recipient template—or drop the file into the **Drop File**field. Follow instructions on the screen to ensure that you are uploading a compatible file.
Click **Close**to exit the pop-up window.
To view and download bulk recipient import files that you have successfully uploaded to VAMS, navigate to the **Data Import**tab from your portal landing page and select **Recipient Import**from the drop-down menu.
Click the desired **Hyperlinked Import ID**from the table list view and click the desired **Hyperlinked File Title**to download that file to your computer.Recipient Self-Registration (Clinic QR Code)
Front desk staff in clinics whose jurisdictions use guest registration will see a clinic specific QR code on their VAMS landing page. You can download and print this QR code to allow recipients to scan it and be directed to your jurisdiction’s guest registration page. From this page, recipients can complete their registration and schedule their vaccination appointment at your clinic.
Schedule Recipient Vaccination Appointments
You can schedule walk-in appointments or future appointments for recipients from multiple places in VAMS. You will see Schedule Walk-In and Schedule Future Appointment buttons when you:
Search for and find an existing recipient.
Add a new recipient, either from the search page or using the **Add New Recipient**button (see **Add New Recipients**).The process flows detailed in this section are the same regardless of where you click **Schedule Walk-In**or **Schedule Future Appointment**.
Schedule Walk-In Appointments for Recipients
To schedule a walk-in appointment for a recipient, click **Schedule Walk-In**.
Select the appointment(s) you want to schedule for. Options include: COVID-19 vaccines, Mpox vaccines, routine vaccines, and general appointment. Click **Continue**.
If you selected **COVID-19** **V****accine**, click **Continue**.
Choose the dose you are scheduling for, answer any associated questions, and click **Continue**.
Click **Schedule Walk-in**, answer any pre-scheduling questions, and click **Continue**.
**NOTE:**If you select the COVID-19 vaccine, you cannot select additional vaccinations for the same appointment.
If you selected **Mpox****V****accine**, click **Continue**:
Choose the dose you are scheduling for, answer any pre-scheduling questions, and click **Continue**.
Click **Schedule Walk-in**.
**NOTE:**If you select the Mpox vaccine, you cannot select additional vaccinations for the same appointment.
If you selected a **R****outine****V****accine**, click **Continue**:
Click **Schedule Walk-in**.
If you selected **General Appointment**:
Choose a **R****eason** for your appointment. If **Other** is chosen, provide a **B****rief****D****escription** of the reason for your appointment. Click **Continue**.
Click **Schedule Walk-in**.**NOTE:**If the recipient already has an appointment scheduled at another clinic, after clicking **Continue**, the system will ask if you want to keep that appointment or cancel it and schedule a walk-in appointment at your clinic. Make your selection. If proceeding with the walk-in appointment, confirm cancellation of the recipient’s conflicting appointment. This will automatically create a walk-in appointment at your clinic.
You will see an appointment confirmation screen with a QR code. If your clinic has QR code scanning capabilities, you can scan this code to check in the recipient. Otherwise, click **Back to Clinic Portal**and check in the recipient using the manual check-in process outlined in **Recipient Check-In**.
**Scheduling Recipients at Third-Party Clinics: Frequently Asked Questions**Can third-party clinic recipients be scheduled in VAMS?Third-party clinics do not schedule recipient appointments in VAMS. Third-party clinics are a walk-in or open type clinics and do not require appointments, nor can appointments be scheduled for third-party recipients.
Schedule Future Appointments for Vaccination Recipients
To schedule a future appointment for a recipient, click **Schedule Future Appointment**.
Select the appointment(s) you want to schedule for. Options include: COVID-19 vaccines, Mpox vaccines, routine vaccines, and general appointment. Click **Continue**.
If you selected **COVID-19**, click **Continue**.
Choose the dose you are scheduling for and click **Continue**.
Click **Schedule Future****Appointmen****t**, answer any pre-scheduling questions, and click **Continue.**
**NOTE:**If you select the COVID-19 vaccine, you cannot select additional vaccinations for the same appointment.
If you selected **Mpox****V****accine**, click **Continue**:
Choose the dose you are scheduling for, answer any pre-scheduling questions, and click **Continue**.
Click **Schedule Future Appointment**.
**NOTE:**If you select the Mpox vaccine, you cannot select additional vaccinations for the same appointment.
If you selected a **R****outine****V****accine**, click **Continue**:
Click **Schedule Future Appointment**.
If you selected **General Appointment**:
Choose **R****eason** for your appointment. If **Other** is chosen, provide a **B****rief****D****escription** of the reason for your appointment. Click **Continue**.
Click **Schedule Future Appointment**.
If the recipient does not have another scheduled appointment, the system will ask you to confirm you want to schedule a future appointment. Click **Schedule Future Appointment**.
If the recipient does have another previously scheduled appointment, and your clinic does not allow multiple dose appointment reservations, the system will ask you to either complete the appointment or cancel it before booking another appointment.
If your clinic has enabled multiple dose appointment reservations, you can book recipient appointments for multiple doses at the same time. For example, if a recipient has a scheduled first dose appointment, you can also schedule their second dose appointment. When scheduling the second dose appointment, VAMS will automatically list the first date eligible for that dose, based on the date of the first dose appointment.**NOTE:** The **V****accine Manufacturer** and **V****accination** **D****ate** fields only appear if you select **Yes**.
On the **Clinic Location** page, select an **Available Appointment Date** on the calendar located on the left side of the page. Days with available appointments are underlined in green. Days with no available appointments are underlined in gray. Days the clinic is not accepting appointments are underlined in red. Days completely grayed out are days the clinic is not operating. **NOTE:**If you work at a mobile clinic with two or more locations that are currently active, the system will ask you to select the location for the appointment before continuing to the date and time selection screen.
Select the appointment time by clicking a **Time Slot**, then click **Next**. Only available time slots will appear. Each time slot will tell you how many appointments are currently available for that time (e.g., “2 slots” means two appointments are currently available at that time). **NOTE:** The system will hold the selected appointment time slot for 10 minutes. If the appointment is not confirmed by that time, the system will release it.
Review the selected appointment location, date, and time with the recipient.
Click **Submit** to confirm the appointment or **Previous** to make any changes.
After clicking **Submit**, you will see a confirmation that the recipient’s appointment is scheduled. The confirmation includes the appointment details and a QR code for contactless check-in. **NOTE:** If the recipient provided a contact method, they will also receive the appointment confirmation through their preferred contact method.Notes about appointment scheduling:
VAMS will automatically cancel a second dose COVID-19 appointment if the recipient’s first dose appointment is cancelled, rescheduled, or the recipient receives the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.
If a walk-in recipient has already scheduled their first and second COVID-19 dose appointments, the front desk user can reschedule their first dose appointment for the same day of the walk-in. The system will automatically cancel the second dose appointment. After the first dose appointment is confirmed, the front desk user can then schedule the second dose appointment on behalf of the recipient.Schedule Recipient COVID-19 Test Appointments
You can schedule walk-in appointments or future appointments for COVID-19 test recipients from multiple places in VAMS. You will see **Schedule****Testing Appointment**button when you:
Search for and find an existing recipient.
Add a new recipient, either from the search page or using the **Add New Recipient**button (see **Add New Recipients**).Schedule Walk-In or Future Appointments for COVID-19 Test Recipients
To schedule a walk-in or future COVID-19 Testing Appointment, click **Schedule Testing Appointment**.
Select the COVID-19 Test type requested for this appointment. Options include: Diagnostic Lab Test- PCR (Molecular-PCR SARS-CoV2), Rapid Diagnostic Test (IDNow Rapid COVID-19 PCR), Rapid Antigen Test (BinaxNOW Rapid COVID-19 Antigen), and COVID-19 Antibody (SST).
Click **Continue**.
Complete the pre-testing questionnaire for the recipient.
The recipient must confirm this information is accurate. Once the recipient confirms this information, you can check the confirmation box in VAMS and click **Submit**.
If the recipient does not have another scheduled appointment, the system will ask you to confirm you want to schedule a walk-in or future appointment.
**NOTE:**If the recipient already has an appointment scheduled, after clicking **Continue**, the system will ask if you want to keep that appointment or cancel it and schedule a new Make your selection. If proceeding with the new appointment, confirm cancellation of the recipient’s conflicting appointment. Then choose between scheduling a new walk-in or future test.
Select **Schedule Walk-in Test** or **Schedule Future Test** as applicable.
If you selected **Schedule Walk-in Test**:
You will see an appointment confirmation screen with a QR code. If your clinic has QR code scanning capabilities, you can scan this code to check in the recipient. Otherwise, click **Back to Clinic Portal** and check in the recipient using the manual check-in process outlined in Recipient Check-In.
If you selected **Schedule Future Test****:**
On the **Clinic Location**page, select an **Available Appointment Date** on the calendar located on the left side of the page. Days with available appointments are underlined in green. Days with no available appointments are underlined in gray. Days the clinic is not accepting appointments are underlined in red. Days completely grayed out are days the clinic is not operating.
Select the appointment time by clicking a **Time Slot**, then click **Next**. Only available time slots will appear. Each time slot will tell you how many appointments are currently available for that time (e.g., “2 slots” means two appointments are currently available at that time). **NOTE:**The system will hold the selected appointment time slot for 10 minutes. If the appointment is not confirmed by that time, the system will release it.
Review the selected appointment location, date, and time with the recipient.
Click **Submit**to confirm the appointment or **Previous** to make any changes.
After clicking **Submit**, you will see a confirmation that the recipient’s appointment is scheduled. The confirmation includes the appointment details and a QR code for contactless check-in. **NOTE:**If the recipient provided a contact method, they will also receive the appointment confirmation through their preferred contact method.Top of PageAdditional VAMS FunctionalityAccess Multiple Clinics in VAMS
You may need to perform the same or different user roles at multiple clinics. After the clinic administrator at each clinic adds you as a user for their clinic, you can easily access multiple clinics after logging into VAMS.
From any page in VAMS, click the **Drop-Down Arrow** next to your name in the upper right corner to access the drop-down menu.
Click **Switch Portals.**
If you have multi-portal access (i.e., you have access to more than one portal—the Clinic Portal and Recipient Portal, for example) this will take you to the **Portal Selection**. Click the **Clinic Portal** button, and then you will see **the Clinic Selection** page.
If you only have multi-clinic access (i.e., you have a clinic role at more than one clinic but do not have access to another portal) clicking **Switch Portals** will take you straight to the **Clinic Selection** page.
From the **Clinic Selection** page, choose which clinic you want to switch to by clicking the **Access Portal** button under the clinic name.VAMS Downtime Procedures
VAMS is occasionally taken down for scheduled system maintenance. All VAMS functions will be unavailable for all users during these scheduled downtimes. **You will be notified prior to scheduled system downtimes.**
All users should consider any processes they may need to complete prior to the downtime, such as:
Scheduling vaccination or testing appointments,
Completing Pre-vaccination Questionnaires, and
Viewing/printing vaccination certificates
**QUICK TIP:**If you need help with access to vaccination certificates, visit the quick reference guide, “Accessing Vaccination Certificates in VAMS”.**Clinics should consider these temporary processes so they can continue to administer vaccine successfully during downtimes:**
Review your upcoming appointments to see if your clinic has scheduled appointments during this time.
Print or otherwise document the names of recipients who have appointments during this time.
Print CDC’s Pre-vaccination Screening Checklist: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/pre-vaccination-screening-form.pdf
Print FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization Fact Sheets, if necessary:  www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/eua/index.html
Print CDC’s Immunization Information System Data Requirement Form to document the vaccine administration information so you can add it into VAMS when the system comes back online: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/reporting/downloads/IIS-data-requirement-form.pdf.
Make a plan to enter the data from these appointments in VAMS as soon as possible.
**VAMS Downtime: Frequently Asked Questions**Where do users report adverse events?If a recipient has an adverse event after vaccination, report the event to the to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). More information can be found at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html
User Access Support
***Quick Tip:** Some users may not be able to access VAMS and may request your help in gaining access. A quick reference guide on troubleshooting for user access is available with a list of solutions. Additional FAQs about accessing VAMS can be found on the “Getting Started in VAMS” page. You can also find support within VAMS by clicking the **Help Link** in the upper right corner of the navigation bar.*
Submit a Question to the VAMS Help Desk
From the**Help**page, click**Submit a Question.**
Click **Submit a Case**and select**New Clinic Case.**
When logged into the system, your name and email address will be prepopulated in your case.
Select the **Category** of your question (and **Subcategory**, if applicable), select your**Jurisdiction,**type the **Subject** of your question, then type your **Question** in the text box.
After clicking**Confirm**, a message will appear on the screen confirming your question was sent.
Once you receive a response to your question, you can communicate back and forth with the support team by replying to the email.**NOTE:** Do not edit the subject line of the email or the support team member who initially responded to your question will not receive it.VAMS Help Desk Contact InformationFor additional support, complete the contact form for the VAMS Help Desk
**Toll-Free Number** | +1 833-748-1979
**Email:**CARS_HelpDesk@cdc.gov
**Hours of Operation** | 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM EST | Monday – FridayTop of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  December 15, 2023						Source: 	National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
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