VACCINE NEWS

Third Doses for Moderately and Severely Immunocompromised People
On August 13^th the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously to recommend an additional dose of the Pfizer vaccine for those 12 and older and of the Moderna vaccine for those 18 and older following a primary series in immunocompromised people. The ACIP took the vote after reaching the conclusion that the desirable consequences of the third dose for this population “clearly outweigh undesirable consequences in most settings.” The ACIP recommendations allow self-attesting moderately and severely immunocompromised people to receive a third dose. People will not need a prescription or a doctor’s signature to receive a third dose. As for the rollout of this decision, CDC staff said they have been working with pharmacies to be prepared should the Committee vote positively and the CDC is hoping these third doses can be rapidly implemented. An article about the ACIP’s decision is here.

Third Doses / Changes to Weekly NHSN COVID-19 Vaccination Data Collection Forms.
Following the August 13^th ACIP recommendation for additional vaccine series for moderately and severely immunocompromised people, the CDC has announced new questions on vaccine doses will be added to the data collection forms. The main changes are: Question #2 remains the same, except it asks about the primary vaccination series; Added question #4 for facilities to report on the cumulative number of individuals eligible to receive an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Added question #5 for facilities to report on the cumulative number of individuals who received an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine (by manufacturer type). The CDC will be conducting training webinars in late August.

Payment for COVID-19 Vaccine Additional Dose
Medicare stands ready to pay for administering an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine consistent with the FDA emergency use authorization (EUA). They will pay the same amount to administer this additional dose as they did for other doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (approximately $40 each). More information in the coming days about billing and coding.

For more information:

• View the FDA announcement
• CMS COVID-19 Provider Toolkit

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Provider Relief Fund Webinar Recording Now Available.
If you missed the LeadingAge “Complying with the New Provider Relief Fund Reporting Requirements” webinar on July 27th, you can still access it here. It walks through step-by-step what providers need to know, where the risks may be and includes 45-minutes of Q &A to help members understand what they need to report. The first report is due September 30th.

New Insights and Tools from LeadingAge
LeadingAge staff experts are developing essential advocacy, guidance, and tools, and curating the most relevant resources for aging services providers, including: 

• Nursing Home Weekly Recap 
• Life Plan Community Weekly Recap
• Home Health and Hospice Weekly Recap
• PACE Weekly Recap
• Senior Housing Weekly Recap
• Drive for 75: Week 24 Resources
• ACIP: Third Doses for Moderately and Severely Immunocompromised People

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