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CVX

Last updated: 08-21-2025

Data Dictionary​

ColumnData TypeDescription
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What is CVX?​

CVX stands for Vaccine Administered Code Set. It is a standardized vocabulary to uniquely identify vaccines.

  • Maintained by: HL7 International (FHIR ValueSet for vaccine codes)
  • Purpose: Provides a standard set of codes for vaccines to support interoperability across EHRs, immunization information systems (IIS), and claims data.
  • Usage: Vaccine administration, clinical documentation, public health reporting, analytics, and interoperability with HL7/FHIR standards.

📎 HL7 FHIR Vaccine Code ValueSet

Who Maintains CVX?​

  • The HL7 International Vocabulary/Terminology group maintains the official FHIR Vaccine Code ValueSet, which includes CVX as a coding system.
  • Updates are published through FHIR releases and ballot cycles.
  • CVX continues to be used in parallel with other coding systems (e.g., SNOMED CT, ATC, RxNorm) to support interoperability.

Code Structure​

Each CVX code:

  • Is numeric (typically 1–3 digits).
  • Represents a specific vaccine or vaccine grouping.
  • Has associated fields in HL7 FHIR including:
    • code → CVX code (numeric identifier)
    • Display → shorter clinical description or context
    • English (English, en) → shorter clinical description or context

Example (from HL7 FHIR ValueSet):

207
SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine, mRNA, spike protein, LNP, preservative free, 100 mcg/0.5mL dose
COVID-19, mRNA, LNP-S, PF, 100 mcg/0.5 mL dose (Moderna)

Key Use Cases for CVX Codes​

  • Clinical Documentation: Ensures consistent recording of administered vaccines in EHRs.
  • Public Health Reporting: Standardized reporting to immunization information systems (IIS).
  • Claims Processing: Used by payers and clearinghouses to identify vaccine services.
  • Analytics & Research: Vaccine uptake trends, coverage monitoring, safety and effectiveness studies.
  • Interoperability: Integrated with HL7 V2, CDA, and FHIR Immunization resources.

📌 Notes for Data Analysts​

  • CVX codes can be paired with MVX codes (manufacturer codes) for complete vaccine identity.
  • Historical/retired codes are important for longitudinal patient records.
  • Mapping between CVX and other code systems (SNOMED CT, NDC, RxNorm) may be required depending on the use case.
  • Tuva’s source files preserve the official HL7 FHIR CVX ValueSet, including active, retired, and draft codes.

Tuva Seed File Update Process​

Note: This is the maintenance process used by Tuva to maintain the current codeset in the Tuva package. Tuva users do not need to complete this step unless they are leveraging a different version of codes or are no longer updating to the current version of the project, but need an updated terminology set.

  1. Navigate to the HL7 FHIR Vaccine Code ValueSet.
  2. Download or extract the ValueSet expansion (JSON/XML) from HL7.
  3. Save the file locally and extract the coding system elements.
  4. Ensure the following fields are retained and mapped as:
    • Code → cvx
    • English (English, en) → short_description
    • Display → long_description
  5. Convert to a CSV file in UTF-8 encoding.
  6. Import the CSV file into any data warehouse and upload the CSV file from the data warehouse to S3 (credentials with write permissions to the S3 bucket are required)
-- example code for Snowflake
copy into s3://tuva-public-resources/terminology/cvx.csv
from [table_created_in_step_6]
file_format = (type = csv field_optionally_enclosed_by = '"')
storage_integration = [integration_with_s3_write_permissions]
OVERWRITE = TRUE;
  1. Create a branch in docs. Update the last_updated column in the table above with the current date
  2. Submit a pull request

The below steps are only required if the headers of the file need to be changed. The Tuva Project does not store the contents of the CVX file in GitHub.

  1. Create a branch in The Tuva Project
  2. Alter the headers as needed in CVX file
  3. Submit a pull request