Syracuse, N.Y. – Within two weeks or less, nursing home residents are expected to be among the first people in Central New York to be injected with a new vaccine for the coronavirus.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are the targets of a massive distribution effort that will be rolled out by the federal and state governments. Senior facilities throughout the state are tentatively planning to start vaccinating residents and staff the week of Dec. 21, said Stephen Hanse, president of a state trade group representing nursing homes and assisted living facilities. There is a possibility the process could start earlier than that, he said.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said in a briefing Friday nursing home vaccinations may begin next week.
The timing depends on when the FDA provides emergency approval of two vaccines developed by drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna. A panel of outside experts recommended Thursday the FDA approve Pfizer’s vaccine. That approval could come Friday night. Once that happens, vaccinations could begin next week, according to Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On. Dec. 17 the panel of experts that advises the FDA will consider Moderna’s request for emergency approval of its vaccine.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is telling states to give nursing home and assisted living facility residents, and healthcare workers top priority for the first batch of vaccine. The state expects it will be months before the general public can get vaccinated.
The vaccine cannot come soon enough for Onondaga County’s nursing home residents who are particularly vulnerable to the virus. The resurgence of coronavirus over the past month has led to increased outbreaks and deaths in these facilities. Nursing home residents account for about half of Onondaga County’s coronavirus deaths.
The CDC is partnering with CVS and Walgreens to provide the shots at nursing homes nationwide. Nursing homes can use CVS, Walgreens or another pharmacy approved by the CDC. Pharmacists will give the injections, said Joseph Goode, a CVS spokesman.
The CDC required nursing homes and assisted living centers to sign up for the program. Officials of Loretto, Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and the Jewish Home of Central New York all said their facilities are participating.
Loretto plans to vaccinate about 1,000 residents and 1,250 staff members at its nursing homes and assisted living facilities. “We are anxiously awaiting word and are actively preparing for the arrival of the vaccine, but do not yet have a confirmed date,” said Julie Sheedy, a Loretto official.
New York expects an initial delivery of 170,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and at least 40,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday Central New York will get 6,400 doses from the state’s first shipment of 170,000 doses. The state will divvy up the doses based on the number of nursing home residents and hospital workers in each region.
The state has about 85,000 nursing home residents and 130,000 workers. Both vaccines require two doses.
Hanse said he expects there to be enough vaccine to cover all of the state’s nursing home and assisted living facility residents and employees who want it. The government is not mandating residents get vaccinated. Nursing homes are in the process of getting written consent from residents who want the vaccine.
But Jim Clyne of LeadingAge New York, a long term care trade group, said he doubts there will be enough vaccine in the first allotment to cover all those people. That’s because some of the vaccine will have to go to frontline hospital workers, emergency medical service personnel and other healthcare workers included in the top priority group, he said.
The second dose must be administered 28 days after the first injection. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are setting up additional vaccination dates when the second shots will be given, Hanse said.
The federal program will manage the vaccination process, including storage, handling and record-keeping at no cost to the facilities. The pharmacies are expected to bill insurers for vaccine administration fees. Residents will not be charged.
All CVS Pharmacy locations have standard refrigeration and freezing capabilities for five of the six vaccine candidates, including Moderna’s. Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. CVS plans to use special shippers that utilize dry ice to transport and store Pfizer’s vaccine.
The state will also distribute coronavirus vaccine, but has not yet released details of how its program will work. “It’s a coordinated parallel effort to ensure everyone in long term care who’s opting for the vaccine gets it,” Hanse said,
The state is lining up hospitals to distribute vaccine and vaccinate health care workers.
Dr. Helen Jacoby, an infectious disease expert at St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse, said the state Health Department has approved her hospital to be a vaccine provider. St. Joe’s is awaiting more information from the state. Crouse Hospital confirmed it also will serve as a vaccine distribution site. Upstate University Hospital deferred questions about its participation in the vaccination program to the state Health Department.
“We are very excited to be at the point where vaccines are nearly ready for distribution and we encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated when the time comes,” Jacoby said.
James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com