Additional mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose authorized for immunocompromised persons

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities)   From: CDPHE Residential Care Strike Team & Infection Prevention and Control Unit   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have approved an additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. For more information on this recommendation, go here. Residents and staff in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, group homes, and intermediate care facilities may meet these criteria.    To ensure the greatest level of protection for those at highest risk, CDPHE is offering to coordinate Pfizer vaccine clinics for residents and staff of residential care facilities. This opportunity will allow those who are immunocompromised and fully vaccinated to receive a third dose of Pfizer in the coming weeks.    Additionally, by September 20, 2021, booster doses will be recommended for fully vaccinated, non-immunocompromised persons at eight (8) months after their second dose. This means persons who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including health care providers, nursing home residents, and older adults, will be eligible for a booster first. Once that recommendation is made, CDPHE can offer to coordinate a second Pfizer vaccine clinic for those persons.   This is also an opportunity for staff and residents who are not yet fully vaccinated to be offered a first or second dose of Pfizer. On August 17, 2021, Governor Polis urged the Board of Health to issue rules mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for healthcare workers. Facilities may take advantage of this opportunity to further vaccinate staff.     Some facilities may already have plans in place with a COVID-19 vaccine provider or can partner with a community partner to offer vaccination to both staff and residents. We have developed a brief survey to gather information about these plans or to understand if facilities need CDPHE support to coordinate a clinic. Please complete the survey at the link below by COB, August 25, 2021. LTCF Additional Dose/Booster Survey   The survey will collect the following information: Facility name Facility phone number Facility address Primary contact name/number/email address Facility ID Would facility like a clinic coordinated by CDPHE Number of vaccine doses needed If facility can coordinate their own clinic, which vaccine provider Estimated date of vaccine clinic   All facilities will receive contact from CDPHE to assist with coordinating a vaccination clinic. For facilities that do not have a plan to hold a clinic on their own, CDPHE is able to conduct or coordinate one vaccination clinic per facility at this time.    Please contact the Residential Care Strike Team at residentialcarestriketeam@state.co.us if you have questions. CDPHE can offer vaccine and storage and handling training for staff before your planned vaccination clinic as well as administrative support to document all of the COVID-19 vaccines administered in the Colorado Immunization Information System.   While we work toward coordinating clinics for each facility, please start preparing and collecting the appropriate consent forms from residents or their decision maker, as appropriate (translated versions can be found here).   As always, thank you for your partnership to help keep Colorado’s most vulnerable safe.   Links in this message:   CDC Recommendation for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People LTCF Additional Dose/Booster Survey COVID-19 Vaccine Screening and Administration Form (translated versions here)