Failure to Offer and Educate Staff on COVID-19 Vaccination
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that staff were offered and educated about the COVID-19 vaccine and the most recent booster, as required by policy and current guidelines. During a review of employee health files, it was found that four out of five staff members, including the Director of Nursing, had not been offered or educated about the COVID-19 vaccine or booster for the 2024-2025 period. Interviews with the Nursing Home Administrator, who also serves as the DON, the Infection Preventionist Nurse, and the staff member responsible for employee health revealed that none were aware of the requirement to offer or educate staff about the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. All confirmed that the process had not been implemented for staff. A review of the facility's Employee Health Immunization Program policy indicated that staff should be vaccinated with one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine if not up to date, in accordance with current guidelines. Despite this policy, the facility did not provide education or offer the vaccine to staff, resulting in a failure to comply with both internal policy and external guidance. No information was provided regarding the vaccination status or education of residents in this report.