Below are several important updates on vaccination opportunities, resources, and planning efforts for home care workers and patients statewide, including some region-specific information.
Home Care Agencies Advised to Develop Waiting Lists
This past week, regional vaccination hubs, local departments of health, hospitals, and other community partners have reached out to HCA and individual home care providers regarding vaccination of home care staff and patients.
HCA advises home care providers to create a waiting list of staff who have not received vaccinations and to also identify those patients who would like to receive a vaccination when it is available. This will facilitate a timely response to inquiries or outreach from vaccine planners for access.
We further encourage home care providers to consider registering with New York State to administer vaccinations if at all possible.
NYC to Partner with Mobile Health on NYC Home Care Worker Vaccinations Starting March 4
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is partnering with Mobile Health to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for home care workers in New York City, starting March 4, at Mobile Health’s clinic in Midwood (Brooklyn) and possibly at a Queens site or other future locations.
Mobile Health will offer appointments on the following days and times:
- Tuesday and Wednesday, 2:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Home care agencies that already work with Mobile Health can register staff for vaccines through their employer portal. Otherwise, you need to e-mail accountmanagers@mobilehealth.net for access to the scheduling portal.
New York City has already set up three sites for certain home care aides in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens and hopes to open those sites up to additional home care staff. For those sites, agencies are advised to compile staff waiting lists. Information should include: name of individual; date of birth; phone number; e-mail; preferred language; additional languages spoken; race; ethnicity; and gender.
NYC ‘Community Conversations’ Series in Multiple Languages: Please Share with Your Staff
New York City DOHMH is hosting a series of community conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine that may be of interest for home care workers. There are upcoming sessions in Haitian Creole (tomorrow), Spanish, French, Bengali, and American Sign Language.
Home care worker webinars from last week have now also been uploaded to New York City’s page on COVID-19 Information for Providers. Links also follow:
- English (includes home care worker speakers)
- Spanish (includes home care worker speakers)
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs)
Additional sessions will be hosted in Korean today at 5:30 p.m. here and Russian tomorrow here. Recordings will also be posted on Facebook.
Long Island Vaccine Readiness
Home care agencies whose staff have not been vaccinated on Long Island are being advised to create staff waiting lists so appointments can get scheduled once vaccination sites for home care workers are established.
Capital Region Vaccine Readiness
Albany County’s Department of Health has held discussions with some home care providers about vaccinating homebound elderly individuals. Meanwhile, agencies are being urged to enter the contact information of unvaccinated staff into the Albany County pre-registration site. Agencies serving the Capital Region are advised to go to capitalregionvax.org to stay informed.
Vaccination of Home Care Patients
HCA has had discussions with numerous vaccination hubs about the deployment of home care providers and others to vaccinate individuals receiving care at home. Agencies who want to be involved in such work should contact their local vaccination hub (and Andrew Koski at HCA at akoski@hcanys.org). A list of hubs and contact information is on our COVID-19 resource page.
Janssen Vaccine
The New York State Health Commissioner has sent a letter to vaccine providers about the federal Emergency Use Authorization of the Janssen Biotech vaccine. The letter advises vaccination providers to review the Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine and to provide the Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers receiving the vaccine.
Our hospital partners have informed HCA that they expect to receive the Janssen vaccine this week for the following populations only: individuals being discharged from inpatient care, prioritizing those 65 years of age or older first; followed by those ages 18 to 64 years with one or more of the currently eligible comorbidities or underlying conditions; and then non-hospital patients who are 65 years of age or older.