Resources to Support Adult Vaccination
All adults and children over the age of 6 should receive at least one dose of the updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in order to be considered up to date. In addition, adults 65 and as well as those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised may consider a second dose of the updated vaccine, which targets both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5, according to the CDC. Along with COVID-19 vaccines, there are others that play a critical role in keeping adults healthy. These include the pneumovax vaccine which protects against pneumococcal disease; the annual influenza vaccine; and more.
What Role do You Play?
Nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, physician offices and others in the community play a vital role in educating staff, patients, residents and families about the importance of receiving vaccines. As a trusted medical resource, clinical staff provide up-to-date, credible information as well as access to vaccines.
Here are a few ways in which nursing homes, hospitals and community-based providers can work to promote vaccine acceptance:
- Educate your workforce, whom patients, residents and families know and trust, to use every interaction as an opportunity to make strong recommendations to receive all recommended vaccines;
- Educate your workforce to answer questions about vaccine safety and efficacy;
- Host on-site vaccine clinics;
- Provide education to resident and family councils regarding vaccines;
- Assess vaccination status as part of the admission and discharge process and document in the medical record.
Resources
IPRO’s Quest for Quality Podcast
Episode 1: Conversation with Stacy Gugino, MD, Medical Director at Brothers of Mercy Skilled Nursing Facility and Garden Gate Skilled Nursing Facility, about vaccine acceptance by patients and staff.
Episode 2: Conversation about COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the long term care setting with Dr. Michelle Bellantoni, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
CMS Podcasts
Episode 1: Conversations with the CMS CMO – The Facts Behind the Updated COVID-19 Vaccine: Safety and Efficacy
Episode 2: Conversations with the CMS CMO – Long-term Care Treatment Options for COVID-19
Episode 3: Conversations with the CMS CMO – CDC Programs for COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Vaccination in Nursing Homes
- COVID-19 Bivalent Quality Improvement Action Plan
- COVID-19 Booster Power Point for Resident & Family Council Meetings
- COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Campaign
- COVID-19 Vaccine Flyer – basic information on vaccine safety and efficacy
- COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Stay Healthy
- Influenza, Pneumococcal and COVID-19 Immunization Toolkit
- Paxlovid Patient Eligibility Screening Checklist for Prescribers
- Vaccinations for Adults – an IPRO-developed PowerPoint for community providers to offer education on vaccinations in adults
- Value in Vaccination Video Series
- AMDA Guidance, Resources and Tools
- CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Long-term Care Facility COVID-19 Module
- COVID-19 Therapeutics Action Plan
- COVID-19 Updated Shot: What You Need to Know (patient resource)
- Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines (CDC)
- Boosters and Beyond: Addressing Key Challenges – 30-minute webinar every Tuesday at 12 noon ET with a live replay every Wednesday at 3 pm ET
- IP3: Infection Prevention by Infection Preventionists for Infection Preventionists – 30-minute officer hours every Thursday at 11 am ET
- IP3 Facebook Group – offering resources, moderated discussions, and more at your convenience
Questions?
Email us at ipronursinghometeam@ipro.org, or call us toll-free at 888-502-0566.