Failure to Administer Pneumococcal Vaccines per CDC Recommendations
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to administer pneumococcal vaccines according to CDC recommendations for two out of five residents reviewed for immunizations. One resident, admitted with multiple diagnoses including Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, had no record of receiving any pneumococcal vaccinations, and the nursing admission assessment did not document vaccination history. This was confirmed by an LPN who verified the absence of pneumococcal vaccination records in the resident's medical file. Another resident, also with multiple chronic conditions such as COPD, vascular dementia, and diabetes, had documentation of receiving a single dose of pneumococcal vaccine prior to admission but was not offered an additional dose as recommended by current CDC guidelines. The facility's policy required obtaining informed consent and providing immunizations, including pneumococcal vaccines, to all residents unless contraindicated or refused, but this was not followed in these cases.