New York State in coordination with other federal agencies have determined that long-term care facilities' residents and staff (includes Andrus on Hudson) will be among the first to have access to a COVID-19 vaccine.
CVS Health is handling the logistics and distribution of the vaccine for Andrus on Hudson, including the actual on-site administration of the vaccine to residents and staff. While we are still receiving regular planning updates regarding vaccine administration, we do have the following information:
Pending a decision by the FDA to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to one of the main vaccine candidates, which may happen as early as today- 12/10, the vaccine will be allowed to be administered at Andrus on Hudson to residents and staff on specific dates
The vaccine is not mandated for residents (or staff): however, the FDA is making an EUA decision based in part on whether the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, a key consideration for higher risk individuals
Vaccines will be administered to residents room-by-room by CVS Health Immunizers (they will be doing the injection)
The vaccine under consideration for an EUA is a two-dose vaccine, with a separation of time between receiving the two doses of around 21 days
We are in the process of confirming the dates for vaccine administration with CVS Health but tentatively we expect the administration of the vaccine to begin late December through early/mid January
Consent Forms-- Important Information!
All residents (or individuals authorized to make decisions on their behalf) that elect to receive the vaccine must physically sign a consent form-- this means the forms will have to be signed in person. We are actively working on planning the in-person review and signing of consent forms; the plan will be communicated as soon we have all of the dates confirmed and a clear process focused on efficiency and safety.
CVS Health is requiring insurance information to be shared with them so they may bill Medicare or the applicable insurance for the actual administration of the vaccine, we have been informed that the Federal Government/HHS is paying for the actual vaccine. We will have more information regarding payment and process included in future communications regarding the vaccine
We have been informed that the dates and times are set by CVS Health and cannot be altered due to very tight timelines they are operating under-- so it is critical that forms are signed in advance of the on-site days or the resident will not be able to receive the vaccine
More information/communication to follow, please check AOHNotify for future updates in addition to communication from our staff regarding vaccine administration.
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