Your help is needed to encourage older adults to receive the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters, especially those living in long term care settings (LTC).

• The updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters are the best protection against COVID-19 variants causing illness right now.

What’s new: CDC, HHS, and partner organizations are reducing barriers to vaccination for residents of LTC facilities by providing flexibilities in vaccination administration, increasing communications, and encouraging jurisdictions to utilize “strike teams” for intensive facility level efforts. 

Specific actions under this approach include: 

• CDC is creating COVID-19 vaccine sub-provider agreements to allow LTC facilities that are not directly enrolled as providers in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program to access COVID-19 vaccine doses through enrolled pharmacy providers for direct administration by the LTC facilities to their residents and staff. See Long Term Care Facilities Enrolling in CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program | CDC for more information.  
• Use of single-dose vials: HHS has approved the use of single-dose vials of Pfizer vaccine for the core LTC pharmacy partners in order to improve access.  LTC may now order COVID-19 vaccine doses in single dose vials. CDC will work with HHS and pharmacy partners to strengthen this option, which should help with maintaining safety and effectiveness of vaccine in the field and limit the risk for potential damage to vaccine product.  
• Data reporting flexibilities: HHS will move forward and grant a 90-day temporary waiver of data reporting requirements to the state/local immunization information system (IIS), unless required by state laws. While reporting of administrative data to IIS remains important, CDC hopes this temporary waiver will assist in increasing vaccine access in these specific facilities. Facilities can still report to IIS voluntarily if they choose and facilities should continue to report to IIS during this period if their state law requires it. CMS-certified nursing homes are still required to report resident and staff vaccination data to CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network each week.  More information related to this reporting can be found at: LTCF | Weekly HCP & Resident COVID-19 Vaccination | NHSN | CDC.
• Alternative vaccine providers: Working with LTC facilities and partners to consider emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or home health agencies, who are COVID-19 providers, to provide onsite vaccinations 
• Strike Teams: Engaging with interested state health officials to develop “Strike Team” efforts in LTC facilities. 
• Communications: CDC and HHS will accelerate and saturate messaging, data, and communications towards these facilities.  

Action for facilities

• Use this sample letter to residents to provide information about COVID-19 vaccination and communicate your facility’s efforts to provide access to the vaccine (e.g., onsite vaccination or driving residents to a vaccination site).
• Advocate for a strong and clear recommendation from the patient’s healthcare provider to help increase the likelihood that a patient will agree to be vaccinated.
• Remember that vaccinators such as EMTs or home health agencies, who are COVID-19 providers, may be available to provide onsite vaccinations at LTC facilities. CMS will allow Medicare-enrolled immunizers, including but not limited to pharmacies working within the United States, to bill directly and receive direct reimbursement from the Medicare program for vaccinating Medicare SNF residents. This means that vaccinators such as EMTs or home health agencies may be available to provide onsite vaccinations at LTC facilities, helping provide much needed access to residents.
• Stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 data in your state or county, using CDC’s COVID-19 Data Tracker. This quick reference tracker provides information on COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations, testing, and vaccination.

Why it matters: A recent CDC report showed:

• Adults ages 65 years and older continue to have the highest COVID-19-related mortality rates. The COVID-19-related death rate among unvaccinated people who are 65 years and older has consistently been higher than the rate among vaccinated people.
• Adults ages 85 years and older remain at particularly high risk of dying of COVID-19.
• CDC data on nursing homes showed COVID-19 case rates are higher in nursing home residents who have not received all recommended doses than those who are up to date.