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Friday, January 8, 2021
Florida's Division of Emergency Management Sets Goal to Vaccinate ALF Residents by End of Month

This morning, Division of Emergency Management Director, Jared Moskowitz, was interviewed by Spectrum Bay News 9’s Cait McVey about the state stepping in to assist CVS and Walgreens with providing vaccinations to ALF residents. According to Moskowitz, "the federal contract with CVS and Walgreens did not include the workforce needed to get these facilities the vaccines quickly."

Florida is home to more than 5,000 long-term care and senior living communities and we appreciate the state stepping in to help vaccinate our residents and most vulnerable seniors soon as possible.

To watch the short interview, please CLICK HERE.

New Information to "Keep In Mind" and Follow Up from Wednesday's Member Zoom Call

Thank you to all the members that attended FSLA’s Weekly Member’s Only Video Conference Call on Wednesday. This week’s topic was the Covid-19 Vaccine Scheduling and Discussion, with special guest speakers Brooke Flaherty-Tiner, the Senior Director of State Government Affairs with CVS, and Molly McKinstry, the Deputy Secretary of Division of Health Quality Assurance with AHCA. Our members who were unable to make it can watch the video here. A copy of the Power Point presentation is also available for download.

As we all now know, per the CDC contract with CVS/Walgreens, Florida is in the 2 week window where CVS/Walgreens is required to schedule all three vaccination clinics with all ALFs. The first round of ALF vaccination clinics are scheduled over a 3 week window, starting January 11.

FSLA has learned that during this scheduling window, residents at some communities are choosing not to wait and are getting their vaccine from their county health departments.

Please Keep in Mind that CVS/Walgreens vaccines are provided by Pfizer, while the vaccines provided by the county health departments may be from Pfizer or Moderna.

Please Keep In Mind to keep track of residents who get the vaccine from CVS/Walgreens or the county health department. Your community may want to consider keeping track of any residents who receive their vaccines from the county health department too, and which vaccine they received and the date of the vaccine to keep up with the 2nd dosage date.
 
Please Keep In Mind that per CDC Guidance on the interchangeability with other COVID-19 vaccine products – “Either of the currently authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can be used when indicated; ACIP does not state a product preference.

Please Keep In Mind that these mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable with each other or with other COVID-19 vaccine products. The safety and efficacy of a mixed-product series have not been evaluated. Both doses of the series should be completed with the same product.

Please Keep In Mind if two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are inadvertently administered, no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time. Recommendations may be updated as further information becomes available or other vaccine types (e.g., viral vector, protein subunit vaccines) are authorized.”

We are checking with AHCA on the following:
  • Whether there will be different consent forms if communities are switched from a pharmacy to Department of Health;
  • When it may be possible to begin relaxing the 14-day quarantine and visitation closures once we're past the vaccine clinics; and
  • When we can cut back on the daily ESS reporting.
FSLA's Notes from AHCA/FHCA Thursday Conference Call

Surgeon General:
  • Increased number of cases/positivity past few weeks.
  • Please continue to practice mitigation/screening.
  • Each week more than 1 million people are being tested in Florida
  • New variant of virus. Have mutated; 1 in Europe made it more transmissible that came to US. New strain in UK is 50% more transmissible – does not appear to be more virulent. Potential to overtake some of the less transmissible strains. Less than half of a percent of current cases now. Person in Martin county is first known new strain in Florida.
  • Monochronal antibodies – when given to symptomatic, non-hospitalized, over 65 diabetes, underlying medical – can reduce chance of being hospitalized. More than 100 hospitals in Fla have it.
  • State allocations of vaccines – comes from feds, prorated based on population numbers greater than 18 years of age.
  • Residents in NH – 46% have received at least 1 vaccination, but staff is at 20% - concerning staff is so low. Welcome further conversations about this. 75% of NH have had at least 1 resident or staff vaccinated.

CDR Health: New Company Hired by State to Administer Vaccines
  • To contact CDR Health, Tina Vidal, ltcvaccines@cdrmaguire.com – questions or call 833-491-1237
  • Hired by Division of Emergency Management to assist CVS/Walgreens complete ALF vaccinations
  • Starting Jan 11 – strike teams in a couple of different counties, will be putting plan together in next couple of days
  • Will be receiving phone calls tomorrow to schedule appts (those with no appt or have not been scheduled past 1/23).
  • One question from AHCA Alert – if communities already have clinic confirmed on 1/25 – what do they do? For ALF anything that has been scheduled 1/24 on it will be done by CVR Health – ALFs will have to redo. Goal is not to make life more difficult.
  • Molly – to clarify CVS Health is for ALF. NH will still use CVS/Walgreens or DOH.

AHCA:
  • Shift to CDR – those with current vaccines will get 2/3 dose from same pharmacy that gave 1st clinic.
  • ESS entries – Please don’t lose track of need to update ESS everyday.