More than 3 million long-term care facility and nursing home residents could face delays receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as facilities struggle to obtain consent, The Washington Post reports.
Tracking down residents' family members or attorneys to get consent is a lengthy process that should've been addressed ahead of vaccine rollout, several nursing home operators told the Post.
"It's a mess," said Mike Wasserman, medical director of a California facility and former president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine. "The federal government just hasn't provided good direction, and the direction keeps changing everyday. And you get different stories from different people at different levels."
Walgreens and CVS, charged with administering the vaccines, requested rigid consent rules while the CDC has said verbal consent suffices. Some officials blame the lack of clarity on the federal government for not outlining consent guidelines for pharmacies and nursing home facilities earlier.
The FDA would have needed to clear a fact sheet on Pfizer's vaccine in order for facilities to have started obtaining consent ahead of time. That wasn't possible since the administration was reviewing details on risks and benefits up until the authorization, a FDA spokesperson told the Post.
In response to complaints from facility operators, the pharmacies are now allowing capable residents to provide verbal consent, said spokespersons for CVS and Walgreens.
HHS previously said all nursing home residents could be vaccinated by Christmas, though CVS and Walgreens suggest logistical and consent challenges could take months.