On February 25, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their resource page for healthcare facilities on steps to take to stay prepared for COVID-19. One prominent update is ensuring that healthcare personnel get vaccinated against COVID-19 to promote the health and safety of the essential workforce and protect healthcare capacity.
The CDC recommends the following to protect the workforce:
- Screen patients and visitors for fever, respiratory symptoms, or other symptoms before entering the healthcare facility. Keep up-to-date on the recommendations for preventing spread of COVID-19 on the CDC website. Access the CDC’s most current information at: Healthcare Workers: Information on COVID-19 | CDC.
- Ensure proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Conduct an inventory of available PPE. The CDC strategies to optimize PPE resource page can be accessed at:
- Encourage sick employees to stay home.
The CDC recommended strategies to protect residents include:
- Stay up-to-date on the best ways to manage patients with COVID-19. The CDC resource page on managing patients with COVID-19 can be accessed at: Management of Patients with Confirmed 2019-nCoV | CDC.
- Separate patients with fever, respiratory symptoms, or other symptoms so they are not positioned among healthy residents.
- Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and maintain other prevention measures for yourself and your patients/residents.
- Consider the strategies to prevent patients who can be cared for at home from coming to your facility, potentially exposing themselves or others to germs.
When healthcare personnel get COVID-19, they are not able to work and provide key services and care for patients and residents. Vaccination for healthcare personnel is critical to ensure the health and safety of this essential workforce, protecting not only themselves but also their residents, families, and their community. The CDC has provided a resource page on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare personnel. This can be accessed at: The Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination for Healthcare Personnel | CDC.
The CDC updated steps that healthcare facilities can take to stay prepared for COVID-19 can be accessed at: Steps Healthcare Facilities Can Take to Stay Prepared for COVID-19 | CDC.
Issue:
Nursing facilities must remain vigilant against the spread of COVID-19. A critical strategy that can be taken to help decrease the spread of COVID-19 is the COVID-19 vaccination, along with other CDC recommendations to help reduce transmission of the virus. As more is researched and learned about the COVID-19 virus, healthcare personnel must stay up-to-date on the important changes and train all staff on the available information.
Discussion Points:
- Review your Infection Control Plan and your policy and procedure on the COVID-19 vaccination. Ensure that both include the most up-to-date information from the CDC.
- Train all staff on your Infection Control Plan and your COVID-19 policies for vaccination and prevention of the spread of the virus. Place training documentation in each employee’s education file.
- Periodically audit to ensure that all staff are following your Infection Control Plan, and that staff are aware of the benefits and risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccination. Audit vaccine consent and administration rates and provide additional education where needed.
