Argentum Infection Prevention & Control Announcements

Sharing a reminder that the deadline for all senior living providers to opt-in to HHS’ Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program for vaccine management is 11:59pm ET today, Friday, November 6.

Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve been keeping a pulse on the status of vaccine trials and preliminary data, and we are working closely with our Vaccine Task Force to craft helpful guidance for senior living providers when a vaccine receives authorization. Here is a download of what we know to date about current vaccine trials:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a “comprehensive plan and proactive measures to remove regulatory barriers and ensure consistent coverage and payment for the administration of an eventual vaccine for millions of Americans,” including the nation’s seniors.

The deadline for senior living providers, including assisted living and independent living community providers, to opt-in to HHS’ pharmacy partnership program for vaccine management has been extended to Friday, November 6. (The previous deadline was Friday, October 30.)

Sharing a reminder that the deadline to opt-in to HHS’ Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program is Friday, October 30. This program is intended to help long-term care communities, at no cost, with complete vaccination management through a retail pharmacy partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Long-term care communities are not mandated to participate in this program and can request to use their current pharmacy contracts to support COVID-19 vaccination. However, providers should ensure that their long-term care pharmacy is a registered provider with their state. It is also important to note that if communities opt-in to the HHS program, the decision on how to receive vaccines can be changed at any time before vaccines are distributed.

Today, HHS announced that it has partnered with CVS and Walgreens for the complete management of the COVID-19 vaccination process for long-term care communities. We have been emphasizing the importance of not only prioritization, but also assistance with vaccine administration, and we appreciate HHS’ attention to and action on this integral issue.

On October 7, Argentum joined a call with the CDC focused on vaccine distribution in nursing homes and assisted living communities. Some key takeaways from the call include:

• Concerning dosage of vaccines: Vaccines would use the same product for two doses with the second dose recommended to occur after an interval of approximately 21-28 days from the first dose.

Today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus released the final 237-page “Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine” report. Sponsored by NIH and CDC, the report is intended to help guide equitable allocation of a limited initial supply of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to an updated framework for equitable allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine, the final report includes recommendations for ensuring equity in distribution, administration, and access; for effective community engagement, risk communication, and strategies to promote vaccine acceptance; and for global considerations.

The CDC has released its COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations. This document is intended to serve as guidance for state, territorial, and local public health programs and partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their jurisdictions. Argentum’s Vaccine Task Force, made up of clinical experts, is reviewing this document from the CDC and is working to make sure senior living is ready for administration of COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. The task force is providing the CDC with detailed feedback and hopes to have additional guidance distributed within a few weeks.