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NYC DOHMH Releases Plan for Vaccinations in Nursing Homes

On Feb. 23rd, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) held a webinar to go over post-federal Pharmacy Partnership options for NYC nursing homes. DOHMH representatives laid out three options:

  1. Partnering with a Pharmacy. Partnering with a pharmacy was presented as a convenient model as many long term care (LTC) pharmacies are already enrolled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Retail Pharmacy Program or the NYC Health Department COVID-19 Vaccination Program and because many nursing homes have existing relationships with pharmacies. If you are interested in pursuing this option, you should reach out to the pharmacy you would like to partner with to confirm they are interested in working with you. You may also contact DOHMH, and they will work to make sure that the pharmacy is enrolled in the CDC Retail Pharmacy Program or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program in NYC. If you would like to partner with a pharmacy but do not have one in mind, contact DOHMH at EOC-HSSB-Liaison@Health.nyc.gov for a connection.

  2. Partnering with an Affiliated Health Care Network. Partnering with an affiliated health care network was presented as a convenient option because large health care systems are already enrolled in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program and DOHMH has already confirmed that health care systems are willing to work with their nursing home affiliates. If you are interested in pursuing this option, you should reach out to your parent health care system to confirm your interest in working with them and contact DOHMH at EOC-HSSB-Liaison@Health.nyc.gov with any questions or issues.

  3. Becoming Your Own Vaccination Provider. Becoming a vaccination provider would allow nursing homes to manage their own vaccine supply, vaccinate their own staff and residents, and provide facilities more flexibility to immediately vaccinate new staff and residents. Several considerations were laid out for those providers considering becoming vaccinators:

  • LTC facilities (LTCFs) must be registered in the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR).
    • Enrollment for the NYC COVID-19 Vaccination Program must be done through the CIR.
    • COVID-19 vaccine ordering is done through the CIR.
  • LTCFs must meet storage and handling requirements.
    • Pfizer: Ultra-cold freezer for up to six months; refrigerator for up to five days.
    • Moderna: Freezer for up to six months; refrigerator for up to 30 days. (Storage in a refrigerator will be allowed on a case-by-case basis only.)
  • LTCFs must be prepared to vaccinate strategically, accounting for all doses in a vial if they need to vaccinate residents or staff.
    • All 10 doses in a vial of Moderna must be used within six hours of drawing the first dose.
    • All six doses in a vial of Pfizer must be used within six hours of drawing the first dose.
  • Minimum dose orders:
    • Moderna vaccine: 100 doses
    • Pfizer vaccine: 1,170 doses
  • LTCFs receiving COVID-19 vaccine as a vaccination provider are required to sign the New York State Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

If your nursing home is interested in becoming a vaccinator, you should contact the NYC Health Department for assistance with determining your capacity to become a vaccination provider and enroll in the NYC COVID-19 Vaccination Program by completing a Provider Agreement. You should also register in the CIR. In addition to enrolling in the CIR, NYC nursing homes are required to sign the State’s MOU. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) expects to transmit a pre-populated MOU to each nursing home that enrolls in the CIR. If you complete your CIR enrollment and do not receive an MOU, please contact LeadingAge NY’s Meg Everett and provide her with the name of your facility as it appears in the CIR enrollment, its address, and its “Location ID#.” She will reach out to DOH to make sure that you receive the MOU.

For questions regarding vaccinations, contact DOHMH at EOC-HSSB-Liaison@Health.nyc.gov.

For questions about the CIR, call 347-396-2400 or email nycimmunize@health.nyc.gov.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383 or Sara Neitzel, sneitzel@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8835