Update from the Keystone Health Care Coalition

CDC has updated their definition of Up to Date to now include a requirement for persons 50 years or age and older to receive a second booster. This means that all persons who are 50 years or older and have only received one booster are now considered “not up to date”.  As you know, the vaccination status of a person in healthcare, whether they are a patient, resident, visitor or HCP, determines how they are managed in terms of infection prevention and control. Persons who are not up to date may be subject to quarantine (TBPs or work restriction) and required to wear source control when it might have otherwise been an option not to.  

We do not anticipate any changes to our healthcare HAN guidance, as each is worded in a way to point to the changing definitions for Up to Date provided on the CDC website, but healthcare facilities are going to need to re-examine all their resident and staff lists to identify how this might change the status of the individual.  

DOH is checking with CMS to determine if there is a grace period for facilities as they seek to obtain more booster doses for staff and residents and update their records; however, at this time all we can say is that facilities should be making a concerted effort to follow the new Up to Date definition.