With our residents and team members in Phase 1a, we’re already saying ‘yes’ to the COVID-19 vaccine and ‘no’ to this dangerous virus. The vaccine rollout is underway at Vitality with CVS hosting its first clinic earlier this month in some of our communities. Here’s what to expect as we safely support the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine going forward.
How We’ve Prepared
While the CDC has provided recommendations to federal, state, and local governments on who should be vaccinated first (which includes residents in senior living), each state creates its own plan for receiving and distributing the COVID-19 vaccines.
Our communities have completed all necessary steps to prepare for this, including:
- Registering all communities with the CDC and selecting the preferred pharmacy.
- Receiving confirmation from the pharmacy with an overview of the next steps.
We also continue to follow all local, state, and federal guidelines and protocols for COVID-19 response as outlined here to minimize the risk of exposure for our residents and team members.
What’s Next for the Vaccine Rollout?
We’ve partnered with CVS who will be hosting three clinics in each of our communities in which to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. CVS will communicate directly with each community to provide the three pre-selected clinic dates and will review the details of each with the community’s senior management.
Then, you can expect your community to:
- Notify residents, families, and team members of the three clinic dates.
- Provide consent forms from CVS for the first and second vaccine clinics with directions and the due date for return.
- Upload resident data into CVS’s Vaccine Clinic Scheduler and then those who opted for the vaccine will receive a specific appointment time for the clinic date.
- With support from CVS, host a clinic for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- With support from CVS, host a clinic for the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Benefits of the COVID-19 Vaccine
We understand that some may be anxious about receiving the vaccine, but rest assured that for the FDA to grant Emergency Use Authorizations, clinical trials must first show the COVID-19 vaccines meet rigorous criteria for safety and effectiveness. What’s more, the CDC’s v-safe tool, a smartphone-based, after-vaccination health checker, provides an additional layer of monitoring to rapidly detect any safety issues with COVID-19 vaccines.
Seniors specifically are at high risk for severe medical complications from COVID-19 and getting the vaccine offers tremendous peace of mind — not only helping to protect them from getting this dangerous virus but by helping to stop the spread of the virus.
Residents in senior living benefit even further by being among the first group to be vaccinated, even before seniors at home. Plus, they are even further protected with COVID-19 vaccine clinics on-site in our communities, sparing them the need to go out in high-risk public spaces to receive it.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the CDC.
Considering senior living? We are still accepting new residents safely and with residents among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there has never been a better time to move. To learn more, contact us or schedule a virtual tour today.