As the Covid-19 vaccine continues to be distributed and administered, long-term care facilities specifically are seeing a major decline in the number of new cases among residents and staff. Since mid-December, the number of Covid cases among residents in nursing homes has decreased by 89 percent, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). New resident cases are also at their lowest levels since the CMS began tracking data in May 2020.

In a recent interview on CNN, Mark Parkinson, who is the President and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) which represents 14,000 long-term care facilities across the country, attributed the positive data and news to the success of the vaccine. Parkinson mentioned in this interview that just a couple of weeks ago, there was a peak of 30,000 new Covid cases reported each week. Since the vaccine rollout, those numbers have dropped to 3,000 new cases a week, and for some providers, they are now seeing zero new cases. “It’s absolutely astonishing; we all thought the vaccine would reduce cases, but I don’t think any of us thought we would have zero cases,” Parkinson said on CNN.

According to a press release from AHCA/NCAL, the Association has taken the lead in a nationwide goal to vaccinate 75 percent of the approximately 1.5 million nursing home staff by June 30, 2021.

Long-term care facilities have made positive strides since the start of the pandemic. It’s paramount that the most vulnerable population and frontline caregivers and providers continue to receive the vaccine so Covid cases decrease and the virus is defeated for good.

Vaccine Resources for Certified Nursing Assistants or other LTC Caregivers

Our team also wanted to share some resources recently published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help LTC staff monitor vaccine safety for their residents and for themselves. The two key monitoring systems the CDC is urging LTC staff to use are the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and V-Safe.

Staff in LTC facilities are asked to report any concerning side effects they see in residents through VAERS. Individuals who receive the vaccine, such as residents and staff, are asked to self-report their health and any side effect after the vaccine via V-Safe, which is a smartphone app.

Vaccine safety monitoring for LTC facility and staff: Certified nursing assistants or other caregivers in a long-term care facility, can learn more about the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) video by clicking here. This video will explain what VAERS does and how you can help medical staff report any concerning side effects in residents following the Covid-19 vaccination. Learn about common side effects after the Covid-19 vaccination and what you need to report to VAERS.

Vaccine safety monitoring for LTC staff and caregivers: This video gives a great explanation of V-Safe for certified nursing assistants and other caregivers in LTC facilities. Learn how to register and get started with V-Safe, which is the CDC’s after vaccination health checker. This app can be accessed through a smartphone and users can share any side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine. You can also receive reminders of when to receive a second vaccine dose.

If you have questions about the Covid-19 vaccine, please reach out to our team. Call us at 845 341-2700 or contact us online.