CMS issued a rule May 11 that will require nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to provide and track COVID-19 vaccinations given to staff and residents.
Long-term care facilities will need to report weekly data to the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network, which is used to track healthcare-associated infections, and CMS will publicly post data once it becomes available. The facilities are already required to report COVID-19 testing, case and mortality data.
The new rule will help monitor vaccine use among staff and residents and help identify which facilities may need more resources, CMS said. The rule aligns with requirements for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.