Feds wait for lowered vaccine efficacy to recommend COVID-19 booster shots
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 22, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will not be necessary until mRNA vaccines become less effective, federal health officials say. But immunocompromised Americans are potential near-term recipients, they told...
CDC: COVID vaccines safe during pregnancy, allaying a top concern of nursing home workers
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 28, 2021
Pregnancy concerns are cited as one of the top reasons for vaccine hesitancy among long-term care workers, but there were no obvious signs of third trimester adverse events among pregnant women who received...
COVID deaths now ‘entirely preventable’ due to vaccines, CDC director says
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 24, 2021
High vaccine efficacy in the United States means that “every death due to COVID-19 is particularly tragic because nearly every death, especially among adults … [is] entirely preventable,”...
Nursing home COVID-19 deaths, cases spiking, hit ‘pre-vaccine’ levels
By
Danielle Brown
Jul 25, 2022
COVID-19 deaths among nursing home staff members are again surging throughout facilities, hitting their highest level since January of this year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control...
Nurses union: CDC rushed new infection control rules
By
Kristen Fischer
Nov 07, 2023
The National Nurses United (NNU) spoke out against recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention action to finalize infection control guidelines that affect long-term care communities. The NNU says...
Seniors shouldn’t wait until fall for COVID-19 booster vax, federal health officials say
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Jul 13, 2022
Receiving another booster shot now will not rule out getting a variant-specific shot in the fall, officials told seniors Tuesday. And a second booster shot provides a higher level of protection, they emphasized.
Providers to report COVID infections in 12 hours or face $1k fines, CMS says
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 21, 2020
Nursing homes will face fines of “at least” $1,000 per week for not reporting COVID-19 infections within 12 hours of learning about them, federal regulators said Monday.