Many health systems are sending clinicians on the road to vaccinate elderly homebound patients against COVID-19, reports Kaiser Health News.
Boston Medical Center launched this effort Feb. 1, and vaccinated 84 people in the first 12 days. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Health and Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger are among other major systems with similar programs, according to KHN.
Wake Forest's program sends a physician, nurse or physician assistant with a pharmacy resident to patients' homes to administer the vaccine. The program has served about 200 people, most of whom are in their late 70s or early 80s and have five or more health issues, according to Mia Yang, MD, a geriatrician clinician-researcher at Wake Forest and the program's director. The health system aims to conduct about 40 vaccine house calls each week. Based on vaccine supplies, Wake Forest may also vaccinate family caregivers during these visits.
As many as 4.4 million older adults are homebound in the U.S., according to KHN. While these patients are at high risk of death or severe illness from COVID-19, they haven't been included in vaccine priority groups, and the CDC only recently issued guidance on vaccinating these individuals, according to the report.
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