Failure to Complete Required Screening Prior to COVID-19 Vaccination
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide COVID-19 immunizations according to professional standards of practice for 35 out of 73 residents reviewed. Facility policy required that all residents, staff, and volunteers be offered the COVID-19 vaccine per CDC recommendations, and that vaccines be administered by qualified personnel under standing orders. CDC guidelines specify that effective screening for contraindications and precautions must be completed before administering any vaccine dose. Documentation review showed that multiple residents received COVID-19 immunizations on various dates. However, there was no evidence in the clinical records that screenings were completed prior to the administration of the vaccines for these residents. The absence of completed screenings meant that the facility did not determine whether residents had any medical contraindications or precautions before immunization, as required by both facility policy and federal regulations. An interview with the facility's infection preventionist confirmed that screenings were not completed for the listed residents prior to their COVID-19 immunizations. This failure to follow established procedures and professional standards resulted in a deficiency under the cited regulation.