Mandy Cohen, M.D., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has signed off on a recommendation from CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that all Americans over six months old get the latest COVID vaccine.

In a September 12 press release from CDC, Cohen said, “We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19. CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones.”

Following this announcement, CDC will change the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance definition of “up to date” for reporting weeks beginning on September 25, 2023, to align with the new ACIP recommendations.

Once the new vaccine and recommendations are applied to surveillance data collection, the percentage of long-term care residents and health care personnel who are reported as up to date for the COVID vaccine may change. (Note that this does not change anything about requirements for initial shots and boosters; it changes only the definition of “up to date” for reporting purposes starting on September 25.)

CDC is providing several trainings for long-term care providers to discuss these anticipated changes:

• Sep 18, 2023, 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Topic: Up to Date Vaccination Status: Surveillance Definition Change for Long Term Care Facilities (register).
• Sep 22, 2023, 2:00 p.m. ET
  • Topic: Up to Date Vaccination Status: Surveillance Definition Change for Long Term Care Facilities (REPLAY) Webinar (register).
• Sep 25, 2023 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Topic: Up to Date Vaccination Status: Surveillance Definition Change for Long Term Care Facilities (REPLAY) Webinar (register).
• Oct 2, 2023 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Topic: Up to Date Vaccination Status: Surveillance Definition Change for Long Term Care Facilities (REPLAY) Webinar (register).

For more details on the trainings, visit the CDC NHSN website. See other LeadingAge COVID updates at our serial post.