Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots
“Covid-19 booster shots are on the horizon, and senior living providers are moving ahead with planning clinics for residents and staff while awaiting greater clarity from government regulatory agencies.” Senior Housing News reports in a recent article. “Covid-19 booster shots are on the horizon, and senior living providers are moving ahead with planning clinics for residents and staff while awaiting greater clarity from government regulatory agencies.” Senior Housing News (SHN) sat down with Beth Biggs, VP of Client Care for Consonus Pharmacy, to discuss what operators should be doing to prepare and how to manage the uncertainty.
“We’re in this unique position right now, where we have one message from one governing entity, and then another message from an advisory body through the CDC,” Biggs told SHN.
Despite the lingering uncertainty, senior living companies and their pharmacy partners are moving with speed to ensure they will be ready to go if and when the recommendations are set.
Staying ahead of the curve is exactly what senior living providers should be trying to do now, both Johnson and Biggs said. Both stressed the need for senior living providers to be ready to administer booster shots sooner rather than later.
“What [operators] should be doing is making sure that their pharmacy partner does have a supply on hand, and that they are ready to go,” Biggs said.
She also suggested operators have a plan for how the vaccines will be administered onsite and by whom, given the fact that staffing is so tight this year.
AHCA/NCAL is also recommending that providers collect information on the vaccination status of their residents and staff in order to have that information ready to share with a vaccine provider down the road.