In this Issue

Register for Upcoming Give the Boost a Shot Events *ANCC Contact Hours Awarded*

• Thursday, June 16, 2022 from 2-3 p.m. ET/ 1-2 p.m. CT: BOOST Event: Join Marilee Johnson MBA, MT (ASCP), Alliant Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention, Donald Chitanda, MPH CIC, Technical Advisor, Infection Prevention & Amy Ward, MS, BSN, RN, CIC, Alliant Infection Prevention Specialist for NSHN Shop Talk. REGISTER
• We want to hear from you on topics!

Best Practice of the Week/ Center Highlight of the Week

• Celebrating all of you!

• COVID-19 Vaccines for People Vaccinated Outside the United States
• (CDC) Don't delay: If you test + for COVID-19, get treatment right away
• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Post COVID Conditions
• COVID-19 in 2022--The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning?
• Cardiac Complications More Common After COVID-19 Than Vaccination
• Choosing Your COVID-19 Booster

• **Two NEW Videos** Take 5 Video Playlist with Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System and Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor at Alliant Health Solutions
• Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
• When to Get Tested for COVID-19
• Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
• COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Calculator
• The Adult Vaccine Assessment Tool
• Flyer: Visitor Talking Points
• Poster: Attention Vistors
• Poster: Why I Got Vaccinated
• Click HERE or visit https://bit.ly/GiveTheBoostAShot to download helpful resources and materials.

Check in: How are we doing? Are you finding the events and materials helpful?

• Please click here to share feedback with us

Latest Guidance/Updates

• COVID-19 Vaccines for People Vaccinated Outside the United States
  For the best protection, CDC recommends everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including people who received a COVID-19 vaccine outside of the United States. A person is up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination when they have received all doses in the primary series and all recommended boosters, when eligible. Specific recommendations for people vaccinated outside of the United States depend on whether:
  • The vaccine(s) received are accepted in the United States
  • The primary series was completed by
    • Receiving one dose of a single-dose accepted COVID-19 vaccine, or
    • Receiving two doses (or any combination*) of a two-dose accepted COVID-19 vaccine
  • A booster dose was received
  • *CDC does not recommend mixing different COVID-19 vaccines for the primary series but is aware that this is increasingly common in many countries outside of the United States. Therefore, for the interpretation of vaccination records, people who received a mixed primary series have completed the primary series. Read More
• (CDC) Don't delay: If you test + for COVID-19, get treatment right away
  For many people, the sooner you act on your COVID-19 symptoms, the better! If you test positive — and are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 — treatments are available to reduce your chances of severe illness. Here's what you need to know:
  • Don't delay — get tested as soon as possible after your symptoms start. Treatment must be started within days after you first develop symptoms to be effective.
  • If you test positive, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider right away to find out if treatment is right for you, even if your symptoms are mild. There are multiple options for treating COVID-19 at home or in an outpatient setting.
  • Read More
• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Post COVID Conditions
  As more persons are exposed to and infected by SARS-CoV-2, reports of patients who experience persistent symptoms or organ dysfunction after acute COVID-19 and develop post-COVID conditions have increased. Read More
• COVID-19 in 2022—The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning?
  Mutations present in Omicron and its subvariants have been associated not only with increased transmissibility, but also with immune evasion to both vaccination and immunity after infection. Primary immunization with 2 doses of mRNA vaccines provides limited protection against symptomatic disease caused by Omicron that increases substantially after a booster. mRNA vaccines offer a similar degree of protection against BA.1 and BA.2 although protection against infection and symptomatic disease wanes within months of a third dose. In contrast, vaccine-associated protection against severe illness, including hospitalization and death, remains durable. Given the decline in protection against symptomatic infection, a fourth dose of mRNA vaccine in high-risk individuals (older adults and those who are highly immunocompromised) has been proposed as a preventive strategy. Data from Israel suggest that a fourth dose is associated with lower risk of symptomatic infection, hospitalization, severe disease, and death among older adults, but has only marginal benefits in most individuals for whom protection against severe disease remains after a primary series and third dose. Currently, a fourth vaccine dose is recommended by the CDC only for individuals older than 50 years who received their booster at least 4 months ago and those 12 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and who have gotten their booster at least 4 months prior. As is the case with other vaccines, the goal of vaccination against COVID-19 is to protect against serious illness, not prevent all infections. However, it is increasingly clear that with Omicron and its many subvariants, protection from severe disease requires 3 doses of an mRNA vaccine, something the CDC has termed “up-to-date.” However, less than 50% of those older than 12 years and only 69% of those 65 years and older have received a third vaccine dose. Read More
• Cardiac Complications More Common After COVID-19 Than Vaccination
  The risk of developing myocarditis and other inflammatory heart conditions after COVID-19 vaccination is substantially lower than it is after SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to an analysis of electronic health records from 40 US health systems. Read More
• Choosing Your COVID-19 Booster
  This CDC website page provides guidance for individuals on which boosters to select based on certain criteria. Read More

Materials & Resources

​​​​​​ Video Playlist with Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System and Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, Quality Improvement Initiative Advisor at Alliant Health Solutions.

• These short videos cover some of the frequently asked questions and common concerns we've from nursing homes across the states we serve related COVID-19 and vaccination. These videos provide quick, to-the-point information and advice to tackle questions and concerns. We will update the list of modules each week!
  • Take 5: Welcome Message: The purpose of the modules (~5 minutes) - watch
  • Take 5: Vaccine Eligibility Part 1: CDC Recommendations as of 5/19/22. What does it mean to be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations? (~3 minutes) - watch
  • Take 5: Vaccine Eligibility Part 2: Jeremy and Swati discuss some tough questions like "what if I got COVID between the primary and booster?" or "what if I'm recovering from cancer? or received monoclonal antibodies?" (~6 minutes) - watch
  • Take 5: Overcoming Concerns (~3 minutes) - watch
  • Take 5: Additional Precautions for the Unvaccinated HCP (~5 minutes) - watch
  • **NEW** Take 5: Walkthrough Care Compare - Finding Public Data (~4 minutes) - watch
  • **NEW** Take 5: How to stay UTD with Trusted Sources (~5 minutes) - watch
• Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
  This website page provides resources and information about how vaccines work. Visit Website
• When to Get Tested for COVID-19: The Coronavirus Self-Checker is an interactive clinical assessment tool that can help you decide when to seek testing or medical care if you think you have COVID-19 or have come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
• Know Your COVID-19 Community Level: CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. COVID-19 County Check
• COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Calculator: CDC’s COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation calculator takes the stress out of deciding when, and for how long, people with COVID-19 and close contacts need to stay home, get tested, and wear a well-fitting mask.
• The Adult Vaccine Assessment Tool: CDC’s Adult Vaccine Quiz helps you create a list of vaccines you may need based on your age, health conditions, and more. Click here to take the quiz now!
• Flyer: Visitor Talking Points: This one-page flyer outlines how to talk to visitors about ensuring the safety of nursing home residents and staff while visiting. Download 
• Poster: Attention Visitors: This poster outlines practices to help visitors keep nursing homes residents and staff safe. Download 
• Poster: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster: Why Should I Get Boosted? Download | In Spanish
• Click HERE or visit https://bit.ly/GiveTheBoostAShot to download helpful resources and materials.

About the Give the Shot a Boost Program

Alliant Health Solutions received a direct change order from CMS to provide support to nursing homes to help accelerate resident vaccination rates. This intensive 12-week program includes the following services and activities:

• Tuesdays: You will receive a weekly email bulletin dedicated to this program with the latest updates and tools you can use to help increase vaccination and booster rates.
• Weekly educational events and dedicated time to ask questions.
• A dedicated website page with resources and materials.
• Access to experts in epidemiology, quality improvement, and infection control. 
  • Assistance Hotline: 1-888-519-4128
  • Email: Booster@allianthealth.org 

For more information about Alliant Health Solutions, visit the website: quality.allianthealth.org.

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