November 8, 2024
It’s the time of year that facilities are seeing residents, staff, and others with respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In a recent special PALTtalk podcast, host Ghinwa Dumyati, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Prevention Program at the University of Rochester, and guest Kelly Langford, online communications director for the Risk Less. Do More. Campaign at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), talked about efforts to reduce infection risks, especially among older adults in long-term care facilities.
“It's very important that older adults receive appropriate immunizations, especially now during respiratory virus season,” Dr. Dumyati said. “As the immune system undergoes changes with age, coupled with the prevalence of chronic conditions among this population, older adults become more susceptible to various infectious diseases. Therefore, immunization is very important in reducing the risk of infection, the associated morbidities related to infections, and potential outbreak in community living environments.”
Here are some highlights of the conversation:
- The Risk Less. Do More. campaign, a public education campaign by HHS, was launched earlier this year. It was started to inform the public about the impending virus season and how to protect themselves against these illnesses. The overall goal of the campaign is to educate the public on and to drive vaccine uptake for the COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines. It also focuses on those individuals who are more likely to develop severe illness from the viruses and those who have historically not been the target of outreach but will benefit from vaccination.
- The campaign has several primary audiences, including older adults over 65. The campaign is wide-reaching and centered on educating and building confidence in vaccines and ensuring people know the risks associated with respiratory virus season. It ultimately seeks to ensure people can protect themselves and their loved ones.
- The campaign is not only designed to reach physicians and nurses but also staff. Ms. Langford noted, “we want to make sure that we’re reaching all stakeholders with this valuable information. We want people to get vaccinated as part of a more holistic care plan.”
- The campaign employs a wide range of media platforms and means to communicate information in an effective, targeted way. Clinicians and others may even see billboards near their facilities with important vaccine information. Additionally, the campaign has developed a number of helpful resources for health-care providers to guide discussions with their patients and inform them about the benefits of getting this season’s vaccines.
- Efforts to reach people about the dangers of RSV for older adults are a priority, as older adults—particularly those in long-term care facilities—are at the highest risk of severe infection. This doesn't just cause pneumonia or respiratory illness, but it can also exacerbate chronic conditions such as myocardial infarction or COPD. One study shows that RSV hospitalization is 3 to 9 times higher for older adults living in assisted living facilities and 3 to 4 times higher for those in nursing homes.
- HHS relies on a concept called “trusted messengers.” These are people who aren't government officials or government spokespersons. Instead, they’re people such as physicians, pharmacists, and nurses who are trusted sources of health care information.
- Dr. Dumyati also discussed PALTmed’s Moving Needles project, a five-year cooperative agreement between the association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve immunization rates among post-acute and long-term care residents and staff. This project team is currently working on a step-by-step guide for increasing immunization rates based on the result of two rounds of pilots with 21 nursing facilities. The program has also resulted in the development of service training for nursing home staff on the value of vaccines.
Get more insights from Dr. Dumyati and Ms. Langford by listening to the entire podcast.