COVID-19 UPDATE #178
August 16, 2021
CDC AND FDA AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL DOSE OF COVID-19 VACCINE FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended the emergency use authorizations for both the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for the use of an additional dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices followed the authorization with a recommendation that an additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Pfizer or Moderna), after an initial two-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series, be considered for people with moderate to severe immune compromise due to a medical condition or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments. These conditions and treatments include but are not limited to: 

  • ​Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies 
  • Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy 
  • Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy) 
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome) 
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection 
  • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory. 

The CDC recommends that a patient’s clinical team is best positioned to determine the degree of immune compromise and appropriate timing of vaccination.  

Immunocompromised individuals who have questions about this recommendation should talk to their physician. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) recommends that providers identify residents (and/or their representatives) who meet the eligibility criteria for being immunocompromised and offer them the third dose or to talk to their physician about receiving a third dose of an mRNA vaccine. Individuals can self-attest and receive the additional dose wherever vaccines are offered.  

While the CDC has authorized a third dose for this specific population, individuals only need two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated. Additional doses for people who have received the Janssen (J&J) vaccine are not recommended at this time. Elderly nursing home residents that don’t meet the immunocompromised eligibility criteria, do NOT need a third dose at this time.   

In light of this authorization, the CDC is working to add new questions on vaccine doses to the NHSN data collection forms. For technical support, email NHSN@cdc.gov with ‘COVID-19 Vaccination Data Reporting’ in the subject line.
NHSN SEEKING COVID-19 VACCINE SUPPLY INFORMATION
The data entered into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) provides critical information to public health officials to coordinate and deploy vaccination supply and administer support. All NHSN facility users should have received an email from NHSN detailing the importance of accurate and timely information on COVID-19 vaccine supply. Facilities experiencing COVID-19 vaccine supply issues should contact their local or state jurisdiction for assistance.

​NHSN encourages users to continually review responses to section #4 of the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply section to ensure accurate data is obtained to provide a clear picture of any current COVID-19 vaccine supply needs and issues that facilities may be encountering.
WEBINAR: BEST PRACTICES FOR VACCINE MANDATES
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) invite you to a webinar being held Thursday, August 19, 2021, at 12:00 noon PST. Randy Bury from the Good Samaritan Society, Jim Tabek from Genesis Healthcare, and Dr. Priti Jindal from Five Star Senior Living join AHCA/NCAL's CEO Mark Parkinson and CMO David Gifford to talk about their experiences with implementing staff vaccine mandates. This webinar is available to members only.

Registration Information
  • To avoid technical problems, use Google Chrome. 
  • Members will need to log in using their existing email and password first. 
  • Once you are logged in to the website you will be able to register by clicking the green register button at the top of the page. 
  • If you have forgotten your password click here. 
  • If you are new to the site, you can create an account here. Answer all fields on the create an account page, especially locating your company name. You can search by name or zip code. After creating an account, you will be able to register for the webinar. 

If you need additional assistance registering for this webinar, please email AHCA/NCAL staff at educate@ahca.org.
WHCA ENGAGES IN SURVEY SERIES TO IDENTIFY WORKFORCE AND STAFF CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH VACCINE MANDATE
On Friday, August 13, 2021, WHCA sent a survey link to all members asking them to participate in a series of surveys through October 18, 2021, when the fully vaccinated status must be completed by all healthcare workers (and state employees and others) in Washington. We recognize the workforce and staffing challenges this could bring, and we want to compile facts and data to help inform ongoing and future conversations with the Governor's office. If you have not already done so, please be sure to complete the survey today. We sent the survey to all administrators/executive directors at each member facility. If you did not receive it, please check a spam or junk folder or reach out to our office at (800) 562-6170, and we will send you the message and survey link. Your response is critical.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
WHCA continues to post resources and information as it becomes available on our website. If you have questions or need additional information, please call the WHCA office at (800) 562-6170.