It is anticipated that United States public health emergency (PHE) declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic will be drawing to a close in the coming months.

At the time of this writing, the Biden Administration has announced that the intended end date of the PHE will be May 11, 2023. In long-term care (LTC) settings, however, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through vaccination, testing, and treatment remains a high priority for federal and state regulators, as well as care providers. The pandemic may be waning, but infection prevention is still a major focus.

At the federal level, CMS has added a requirement to report staff flu vaccinations as part of its Quality Reporting Program. Unlike COVID-19, there is no requirement for staff to be vaccinated, even though the flu season has been particularly severe this year. The only requirement is to report the number of staff members who are vaccinated against the flu.   This is especially important in long-term care and home health settings, where staff vaccination rates average 66% - among the lowest of all healthcare workers.

Another recent development is the FDA’s proposal to simplify the COVID-19 vaccine schedule. The new proposal would create a streamlined plan for COVID booster eligibility, effectively removing the initial series requirements to receive a booster dose. The newly proposed regimen would consist of a single annual dose for most individuals, and two annual doses for those who are elderly and immuno-compromised. The FDA’s proposal would align the COVID-19 vaccination schedule with the annual flu shot. Yearly updates may also be considered, to address prevalent circulating strains of the virus.

State governments are taking action, as well, to address the need for improved vaccination status documentation, and better data transparency among vaccine providers. Minnesota, for example, requires pharmacists to use the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) to check the immunization status of patients prior to administering a vaccine. This requirement mandates that vaccine providers electronically query the MIIC and stipulates that paper records, such as vaccine cards, do not satisfy this requirement.

FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management users can take an active role in these new efforts to safeguard the health of those residing and working in LTC settings. Staff and resident vaccinations can be documented with ease and reported to state Immunization Information System (IIS) registries with just a few clicks. The IIS query feature allows for instant data retrieval from state vaccine registries. New regulations such as these can be managed with confidence, allowing LTC pharmacies to focus on patient care.

Keeping a nation of over 300 million people healthy is a herculean task. Legislators and policy makers at both the state and federal level are putting technology at the forefront as a mechanism for driving public health initiatives. Current regulatory developments are focused on targeted vaccine programs and enhanced data sharing between systems. As the pharmacy practice model evolves, vaccination remains a focal point for new opportunities and shifting regulatory requirements.

SoftWriters is proud to be a trusted partner in the effort to promote pharmacy-based vaccination for the nation’s LTC population. Explore our vaccine management platform now.