Failure to Follow CDC Guidelines for Pneumococcal Vaccination
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow the latest CDC guidelines regarding pneumococcal (PCV20) vaccination for five residents. Record review showed that the clinical medical records for these residents did not contain evidence that the facility or the residents' representatives received or signed consent or informed declination for the PCV20 vaccine. Additionally, there was no documentation of a physician-documented contraindication for the vaccine in these residents' records. An administrative nurse confirmed that the facility had not offered the PCV20 vaccine to all eligible residents. The facility's existing procedure required obtaining immunization records at move-in, securing physician standing orders for pneumococcal vaccination, and offering the vaccine to residents who had never received it or were due for a booster, in accordance with CDC guidelines. However, these procedures were not followed for the residents in question, resulting in a lack of proper documentation and vaccine administration.