Failure to Provide COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Offer Vaccination
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide educational materials regarding the COVID-19 vaccine to residents and/or their representatives, preventing them from making informed decisions about vaccination. Interviews with the Infection Preventionist (IP), Medical Director, and Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed that no residents had been offered or administered the COVID-19 vaccine due to the lack of current educational materials for the 2025-2026 year. The IP stated that only outdated materials were available and had not reached out to the facility's pharmacy or local health department to obtain updated information. The Medical Director was unaware of the issue and emphasized the importance of providing educational materials for informed consent. The DON indicated that while vaccination status is checked on admission, residents must receive education materials to make an informed choice. The Health Department confirmed that the facility had not requested educational materials, and the facility's policy required that residents be provided with the most current vaccine information statement (VIS) before vaccine administration. The policy also specified that education regarding benefits, risks, and potential side effects must be given prior to offering the vaccine. As a result of these actions and inactions, none of the 145 residents, who are considered a vulnerable population, were offered or given the COVID-19 vaccine, and their vaccination status was not properly documented in accordance with policy and regulatory requirements.