In this Issue

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

• Thursday, November 17, 2022 from 2:00-3:00pm ET/ 1:00-2:00pm CT: NHSN Shop Talk - REGISTER
• Thursday, December 1, 2022 from 2:00-2:45pm ET/ 1:00-1:45pm CT: Part 2 – Changing Covid-19 Guidelines: Making Informed Infection Prevention Practice Decisions for Your Facility - REGISTER
• We want to hear from you on topics!

• From "No" to "Not Now" to "Yes" to Bivalent Boosters in Miami
• Has your facility been successful in achieving your goals for your resident’s booster rates? Please share how you achieved success, helping to spread success by sharing with your peers!

• Public health experts warn about potential “tripledemic” of COVID-19, influenza, RSV this winter
• CDC Allows Novavax Monovalent COVID-19 Boosters for Adults Ages 18 and Older
• ACIP Immunization Schedule Vote
• ​​FDA grants emergency use authorization to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine booster
• Know Your COVID-19 Community Level

• *New Flyers* Bivalent Myths and Facts
• *New Videos* Take 5 for Immunization Best Practices and Best Practices to Integrate Immunizations into Your QAPI Program
• Vaccination Weeks of Action
• Your Safe Visitor Policy and Cohorting plans
• Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work
• When to Get Tested for COVID-19
• 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

• Public health experts warn about potential “tripledemic” of COVID-19, influenza, RSV this winter: The New York Times (10/23, Mandavilli) reports, “With few to no restrictions in place and travel and socializing back in full swing, an expected winter rise in COVID cases appears poised to collide with a resurgent influenza season, causing a ‘twindemic’ – or even a ‘tripledemic,’ with a third pathogen, respiratory syncytial virus...in the mix.” The article adds “cases of flu have begun to tick up earlier than usual,” while children with RSV, “rhinoviruses and enteroviruses are already straining pediatric hospitals in several states.” Most cases of the respiratory illnesses “are likely to be mild, but together they may sicken millions of Americans and swamp hospitals, public health experts warned.”
• CDC Allows Novavax Monovalent COVID-19 Boosters for Adults Ages 18 and Older: On Wednesday, October 19, 2022, CDC’s Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., signed a decision memo allowing Novavax monovalent COVID-19 boosters for adults. This action gives people ages 18 years and older the option to receive a Novavax monovalent booster instead of an updated (bivalent) Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna booster if they have completed primary series vaccination but have not previously received a COVID-19 booster—and if they cannot or will not receive mRNA vaccines. Read More
• ACIP Immunization Schedule Vote: On Thursday, October 20, 2022, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updates to the 2023 childhood and adult immunization schedules, which includes incorporating additional information for approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines. CDC only makes recommendations for use of vaccines, while school-entry vaccination requirements are determined by state or local jurisdictions. Read More
• FDA grants emergency use authorization to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine booster: The Washington Post (10/19, McGinley) reports that on Wednesday, the FDA “granted emergency use authorization to a booster shot for the coronavirus vaccine from Novavax.” The FDA “said people 18 and older can receive the booster six months after completing their primary series of any coronavirus vaccine authorized in the United States.” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, then “signed a decision memo allowing use of the booster, the last step before the shots can be administered.”
• Know Your COVID-19 Community Level: CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels are a 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

Materials & Resources

• **New** Bivalent Myths and Facts Flyers: Please print, post, and share these short flyers debunking the myths and misconceptions about the Bivalent Boosters.
  • English
  • Spanish

​​​​​​ Video Playlist with Swati Gaur, MD, MBA, CMD, AGSF, Medical Director, Post Acute Care, Northeast Georgia Health System, Jeremy Bischoff, LHNA, BS, State Quality Manager, Kentucky at Alliant Health Solutions, and Lisa Davies, CPHQ, LNHA, RD, LD, Quality Improvement Initiative Manager 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! Watch them here.
  • Take 5: Therapeutics - watch
  • Take 5: BA5 Variants - watch
  • Take 5: Strategies Moving Forward - watch
  • Take 5: Pivot not Pause (holidays are approaching) - watch
  • Take 5: New Bivalent Boosters - Everything you need to know - watch
  • **NEW** Take 5: Immunization Best Practices - watch
  • **NEW** Take 5: Best Practices to Integrate Immunizations into Your QAPI Program - watch
• Vaccination Weeks of Action: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) kicked off the Vaccination Weeks of Action campaign on October 13, 2022, to encourage more people to get the updated COVID-19 booster. The following resources are available to help providers, community-based organizations and others actively promote the updated booster and build vaccine confidence during these weeks of action:
  • Vaccination Weeks of Action Social Media Toolkit in English and Spanish
  • Updated COVID Vaccines Toolkit in English and Spanish
  • Older Adults Toolkit in English and Spanish
  • Community-Based Organizations Toolkit in English and Spanish
  • Resources for American Indian/Alaska Native Tribal Leaders
  • Black/African American Civic Organizations Toolkit
  • Rural Community Toolkit
  • General Audience Toolkit in English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Tagalog, Korean, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Haitian Creole
  • Additional resources and toolkits are available here.
• Your Safe Visitor Policy and Cohorting plans
  CMS requested Alliant Health Solutions, your QIN-QIO, to work with nursing homes to understand emerging healthcare needs in the skilled nursing facility and ensure plans addressing safe visitors and cohorting are in place to achieve and maintain health quality and equity. Over the next several months, Alliant Health Solutions will be reaching out to your nursing homes via phone and email to answer two quick questions:
  • Does your facility have a formal Cohorting plan?
  • Does your facility have a formal Safe Visitor Policy?
• Theater for Vaccine Hesitancy—Setting the Stage for Difficult Conversations
  With almost one-quarter of Americans unwilling to get immunized with available COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy remains a substantial obstacle to controlling the coronavirus pandemic. This essay describes our experience with a Theater for Vaccine Hesitancy training program that uses improvisational theater techniques to help health care workers have collaborative conversations with unvaccinated patients about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. Read More
• 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.
• 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 program includes the following services and activities:

• Second Tuesday: 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.
• Twice monthly 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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