Dear AHCA/NCAL Member,
I am thrilled to share with you that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer's request for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine. This is incredible news. We have had a really tough year, but this announcement is the beginning of the end of this pandemic. That is something worth celebrating.
As you know, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that long term care residents and staff be included at the highest priority level for the first distributions of this vaccine. That means we will soon have access to it, but the logistics of getting the vaccine into our buildings are complex and will vary by state. We need to make sure we are planning ahead now. This will take a lot of hard work, but I am confident, working together, we can make this happen.
In addition to the EUA fact sheet that is now available, AHCA/NCAL has developed many resources to help you plan for these clinics and communicate with staff/residents about the importance of getting this vaccine. More than 3,000 members joined us on a recent webinar focused on planning for these COVID-19 vaccine clinics, building vaccine confidence, and increasing vaccination rates in your buildings. If you weren’t able to join, a recording is available here. There is a lot of helpful information here, and I highly encourage you to review this.
We have also shared a variety of communications resources on the AHCA/NCAL website. This includes template letters that can be used for outreach to staff, residents, and resident representatives to obtain consent to get the vaccine. There are also talking points, frequently asked questions, and much more to help you navigate this massive undertaking.
We will also host COVID-19 vaccination "office hours" on December 15th and 16th. The AHCA/NCAL team will be available to answer your questions about how to get ready and promote high vaccination rates in your buildings. Be sure to register today.
Thank you for everything you do and for staying strong over the past nine months. If we prepare for and execute these clinics in the right way, we can begin to save lives and put this behind us. It will not be easy, but I am confident in our profession’s ability to meet this challenge head-on and come out even stronger in the new year.
Sincerely,
Mark
