Failure to Provide Annual COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Documentation for Staff
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all staff received education and vaccine information sheets regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, as required by policy and CDC/FDA guidelines. Out of 79 staff members, there was no documentation that 54 had been offered the annual COVID-19 vaccine or received education about its risks and benefits. Only 25 new staff hired since September 1, 2024, had received some education and declined the vaccine, but there was no evidence that any staff were provided with the vaccine information sheet. Interviews with staff, including RNs, the Administrator, and the Human Resource Manager, confirmed that the facility did not provide annual education or offer the vaccine to staff, instead instructing them to obtain it from their own pharmacy or physician. Further review of the facility's COVID-19 Vaccine Policies and Procedures indicated that all staff should be offered the vaccine annually and provided with education and a vaccine information sheet, with documentation maintained for all staff. However, the Administrator and HRM acknowledged that staff were only asked about the vaccine upon hire and not annually, and that the required education and information sheets were not provided. This deficiency affected 54 of 79 staff and had the potential to impact all residents, with a facility census of 58 at the time of the survey.