It’s Worth a Shot

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 VaccineSafety 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


Questions?

Email us at ipronursinghometeam@ipro.org, or call us toll-free at 888-502-0566.