COVID Fatalities Increase in Care Facilities, Vaccination Lags | | |
|
AARP reports a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in U.S. nursing homes this summer. Resident deaths rose fivefold from May to August 2024, with about 500 deaths in the month ending August 25. Alarmingly, only 31% of residents and 10% of staff are up-to-date on vaccinations, far below last year's rates.
Experts stress the importance of fall vaccinations to protect vulnerable residents as winter approaches. AARP urges immediate action to improve vaccine education and availability in long-term care facilities. Read the full report.
| | |
CDC Releases 2024-25 Influenza Vaccine Recommendations | | | |
|  |
|
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has published updated seasonal influenza vaccine recommendations. This report updates the 2023-24 ACIP guidelines for the 2024-25 season.
It continues to recommend annual vaccination for all persons aged ≥6 months without contraindications. For adults aged ≥65 years, the ACIP now preferentially recommends the use of high-dose, recombinant, or adjuvanted influenza vaccines. View a summary of the recommendations here.
| | |
Webinar: Immunizations for Adults with Chronic Conditions | | |
|
Join the American Lung Association and partners for a webinar on respiratory virus immunizations for adults with chronic medical conditions. Learn about fall and winter respiratory viruses including flu, RSV, and COVID-19. The webinar will cover recommendations for the 2024-25 virus season and discuss how these viruses affect adults with conditions like asthma, COPD, diabetes, and heart disease.
The event takes place on October 30, 2024, from 1:00-2:00 PM ET. Register here.
| | |
| |
Boost Vaccine Uptake with Free EMBRACE Project Posters | | | |
| |
|
The CDC, in partnership with UCI Health, has launched the Educational Materials to Bring Resilience Against Contagious Events (EMBRACE) project, offering free, downloadable posters to encourage COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations.
Designed for use throughout the respiratory season (mid-September to mid-March), the 12 posters can be rotated twice monthly to keep messaging fresh and relevant. They can be printed on wall-safe, self-adhesive paper for easy display. Access the materials here.
| | |
Survey Shows Low Vaccination Intent Among U.S. Adults for Fall 2024 | |
|
A new survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) shows that a low number of US adults plan to get vaccinated against influenza, COVID-19, RSV, or pneumococcal disease this fall and winter. Key reasons include concerns about vaccine side effects and general vaccine distrust. Learn more here.
|
|
Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests: Outreach Resources for Healthcare Providers | |
Every U.S. household is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests by visiting https://covidtests.gov/. Healthcare providers can inform patients using the COVID-19 Digital Toolkit, which offers shareable messages and graphics in English and Spanish for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Threads.
| | |
| |
COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect nursing home residents. As of September 29, confirmed cases dropped to 6.6 per 1,000 residents. For all age groups, the monthly death rate for August was 1.32/100,000 compared to 14.7/100,000 for those 75+. Despite the ongoing risk, only 31% of nursing home residents were up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines as of August 18, 2024. | | |
Shot of Knowledge: Vaccine Q&A | | |
|
Q: Should a person who received 2 doses of varicella vaccine be vaccinated for herpes zoster (shingles) when they turn 50?
A: Yes. According to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 2018 recommendations for herpes zoster prevention, Shingrix is recommended for adults aged 50 years or older, regardless of their prior receipt of varicella vaccine or live zoster vaccine.
Q: Before administering Shingrix, is it necessary to ask if the person has ever had chickenpox or shingles?
A: No, it is not necessary. Shingrix should be given to all immunocompetent individuals aged 50 years or older, regardless of their history of chickenpox or shingles, unless they have a medical contraindication to vaccination. For this population, there is no need to inquire about chickenpox history or conduct varicella antibody testing before or after vaccination.
| | |
Learning & Professional Development | | | |
|
|
IP3 - Office Hours for Infection Preventionists
Join fellow infection preventionists every Thursday at 11 am ET for engaging discussions and idea sharing. Led by experts Melanie Ronda and Mary Ellen Casey, these sessions offer a platform to explore new strategies and address challenges in infection prevention.
Connect, learn, and contribute to advancing the field. Register.
| |
|
Stay informed about vaccine updates:
-
Visit our WAVE page to access up-to-date resources to support your efforts
| |
|
Keep the learning going:
-
Visit our calendar to register for upcoming events
-
Access on-demand training with IPRO Learn!
| |
|
For questions or technical assistance:
| | |
|
The IPRO QIN-QIO works to ensure high-quality, safe health care in New England, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
| |
This material was prepared by the IPRO QIN-QIO, a Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. 12SOW-IPRO-QIN-T1-AA-21-435 | | | | |
