Failure to Provide Education and Offer Updated Pneumococcal Vaccine
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that two of five residents reviewed for immunizations were provided with education and the opportunity to decline or receive an updated pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20 or PCV21), as required by facility policy and CDC recommendations. For one resident, the electronic medical record showed previous pneumococcal vaccinations but lacked documentation that the resident or responsible party had been educated about the need for the updated vaccine or offered the opportunity to receive it. For the second resident, records indicated a prior PCV13 vaccination and a general vaccine consent, but there was no documentation of education or administration of the PCV20 vaccine after consent was obtained. Interviews with facility staff, including the Clerk and the DON, confirmed that there was no documentation of education or vaccine administration for these residents regarding the updated pneumococcal vaccine. The DON acknowledged that the expectation was to check vaccine status, provide education, and offer the vaccine to all residents, but this process was not followed for the two residents in question.