On November 14, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response announced that single dose vials of COVID vaccines would soon be available. These will offer greater flexibility in vaccine distribution and expand the number of sites where vaccines can be administered. LeadingAge has learned that some state health departments have begun to let providers know that these single dose vials are now available in limited supply. Providers may want to check with their public health departments about availability.
LeadingAge has been working on the “All Hands on Deck” project to help nursing home members support more residents to accept bivalent boosters. In exchange for communicating the importance of boosters and communicating with members during this 90 day push, LeadingAge has asked HHS to cut through bureaucratic red tape to enable more nursing homes to become designated vaccination sites. These sites can order COVID-19 vaccines/boosters in single-dose vials from designated enrolled pharmacies for direct administration to residents. The nursing home will have to show that it can store, prepare and administer the vaccine in accordance with all requirements and recommendations of CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
This week the CDC will post an agreement to its website that must be signed and submitted to the CDC. The agreement will be effective for 90 days and allows the provider to delay some federal reporting during that time. Providers must still document the vaccine in medical records and report, if required, to state Immunization Information Systems as required.