Failure to Re-Offer and Educate on Pneumococcal Vaccination per CDC Guidance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to offer and educate a resident regarding Pneumococcal vaccines in accordance with CDC guidance. The resident, who had diagnoses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia and hypercapnia, and was dependent on supplemental oxygen, had previously received a Pneumovax 23 vaccine prior to admission. Upon admission, the resident was cognitively intact and received education about the vaccine, subsequently declining it. However, the clinical record did not show that the vaccine was offered again after the initial refusal, despite CDC recommendations for re-offering at appropriate intervals. Interviews with the Infection Preventionist and the DON confirmed that residents who refused the Pneumococcal vaccine on admission were not re-offered the vaccine when they became eligible for subsequent doses. The facility's policy stated that immunizations would follow current CDC guidance and be offered as per federal, state, and local requirements, but the practice did not align with this policy, resulting in a failure to ensure ongoing vaccine offerings and education for the resident.