The CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Vaccination Unit recently hosted a webinar for long term care (LTC) facilities enrolled in the NHSN Healthcare Personnel Safety (HPS) Component. Facilities learned how to report health care personnel (HCP) flu vaccination data through the HPS Component.
What is Required?
- The Influenza Vaccination Coverage among HCP measure was finalized in the FY 2023 SNF PPS Final Rule and was published in the Federal Register August 2022. As a result, most CMS-certified skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are required to report annual HCP influenza vaccination summary data through the NHSN HPS Component for the 2022-2023 influenza season. To determine if your facility is required to report, please contact CMS at SNFQualityQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
- The 2022-2023 influenza season is from October 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023.
- The deadline to report annual HCP influenza vaccination data is May 15, 2023.
- A single summary report for the season is required.
- Reporting weekly influenza vaccination data in the LTC Component does not fulfill this reporting requirement.
Activating the HPS Component
- In order to report Annual Flu Influenza Summary data, the HPS Component must be activated in NHSN.
- Only the NHSN Facility Administrator (FA) can activate a new component.
- The FA can activate the HPS component by navigating to Facility -> Add/Edit Component. The FA can then add users including the HPS Component Primary Contact.
The CDC will replay this webinar on October 19, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET. Facilities can register
here.