State extends public health order 20-20, booster vaccine clinics required before the end of October

 

To: Residential care facilities (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and intermediate care facilities)   From: CDPHE Residential Care Strike Team    Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has amended Public Health Order 20-20, requiring long-term care facilities to schedule COVID-19 booster vaccine clinics before the end of October 2021 for those eligible for the Pfizer booster shot. This eighth amended order went into effect Sept. 27, and will continue to be in effect until further amended or rescinded.   By Oct. 25, and in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for any COVID-19 vaccine authorized or approved for a booster dose, each facility that has a population who is eligible for a booster dose shall complete a COVID-19 booster dose clinic for current eligible residents and staff.   By Oct. 1, each facility shall schedule a COVID-19 booster dose clinic and communicate the confirmed clinic date and vaccine provider via email to cdphe_covidvax@state.co.us.    Here is a brief summary of changes to PHO 20-20: Adds a paragraph requiring that nursing homes, assisted living residences, intermediate care facilities, and group homes that have individuals who are eligible for a booster shot complete a COVID-19 booster shot vaccination clinic no later than October 25, 2021, and schedule such clinic no later than October 1, 2021.   Last week, CDC officially recommended Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for people at higher risk for COVID-19. Booster doses should be given at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. The updated CDC guidance recommends Pfizer booster shots for people 65 years and older, residents in long-term care settings, and people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions. The recommendations also state that people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions and people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine based on their individual benefits and risks.   With delta variant’s dominance as the circulating strain and cases of COVID-19 increasing significantly across the United States, a booster shot will help strengthen protection against severe disease in those populations who are at high-risk for exposure to COVID-19 or the complications from severe disease. CDC will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure appropriate recommendations to keep all Americans safe. CDC will also evaluate with similar urgency available data in the coming weeks to swiftly make additional recommendations for other populations or people who got the Moderna or J&J/Janssen vaccines.   The FDA news release can be found here.   Next steps for facilities to ensure timely booster doses can be provided: Continue to communicate with your identified COVID-19 vaccine provider to schedule booster vaccine clinics for your facility. If your facility has requested CDPHE assistance providing a booster vaccination clinic, be prepared to receive contact (phone call and/or an email) to schedule a booster vaccine clinic from the CDPHE vaccine support team or a CDPHE contracted provider (Nomi Health, Jogan Health, Healthcare Workforce Logistics, TrueCare24, local public health agency, Bloom Healthcare). If your facility is on this list, your provider will be Bloom Healthcare. Contact Ardy Mohtadi at amohtadi@bloomhealthcare.com with scheduling questions. If your facility is in one of the following counties, please contact your county LPHA to schedule: Grand, Pitkin, Bent, Delta, Broomfield, Teller, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Routt, Baca, Kiowa, Montezuma, Custer, Prowers, Eagle, Kit Carson, Gunnison, Chaffee, or Moffat. If your facility is partnering with Nomi Health (covering Pueblo, El Paso, Fremont, Las Animas/Huerfano, Conejos, Garfield, Mesa, Rio Blanco, Alamosa, Rio Grande, or Crowley/Otero), contact molly.steck@state.co.us. If your facility is partnering with Jogan Health (Jefferson, Adams, Douglas, Arapahoe, Archuleta, La Plata, or Montrose), contact adrianna.ukaj@state.co.us. If your facility is partnering with HWL (Weld, Morgan, Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma, Larimer, or Washington), contact tiana.reed@state.co.us. If your facility is partnering with TrueCare24 (Denver, Boulder, Elbert), contact susan.barstad@state.co.us.   If your facility has not communicated with CDPHE about your plans to provide booster vaccine doses, please email: cdphe_covidvax@state.co.us