COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Webinar with Dr. Wright

Did you miss our free, virtual event presented by Dr. James Wright? View the full presentation here!

About our speaker: Dr. Wright is a founding member and Attending Physician of SNF/LTC Partners of VA in Richmond and is a member of the Governor’s Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 Task Force. He has been Medical Director at Our Lady of Hope Health Center since 2013.

Vaccination Clinic Dates

Our Lady of Hope will have COVID-19 vaccination clinics on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, December 30
  • Wednesday, January 20
  • Wednesday, February 10

At this time, VDH and CDC have not issued new safety and visitor guidelines based on vaccination rates. Despite staff, resident, and family member vaccinations, we continue to operate under a modified visitor policy with social distancing and masks in order to protect the health of our residents. As VDH and CDC guidelines change, we will adjust our policies accordingly.

Note: The COVID-19 vaccine is administered across two doses, with three weeks between each dose.

Vaccine Overview

At Our Lady of Hope, the health and safety of our residents have always been our top priority. That is why we are thrilled our residents are among the first with the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended to the CDC that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities (which includes assisted living) should be the first to receive the vaccine. As a participant in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, our community’s residents and team members are in the first phase of vaccine recipients.

Note: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is not mandating residents be vaccinated at this time. Please refer to CMS directly for requirements around the COVID-19 vaccine in long term care facilities. Although not mandated, we strongly encourage our residents and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for their own protection and the protection of those around them.

Vaccine Administration at Our Lady of Hope

We, along with thousands of other long-term care facilities, are participating in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program with the Centers for Disease Control to help us most efficiently distribute these vaccines to our residents free of charge. Our staff also have the opportunity to get vaccinated through this program, if they have not been vaccinated previously.

Through this program, the CDC has engaged retail pharmacy partners (CVS and Walgreens) to secure the vaccine and provide on-site vaccination of residents, at no cost to the facility. This program provides end-to-end management of the COVID-19 vaccination process, including storage, handling, cold chain management, on-site vaccinations, and fulfillment of reporting requirements, to facilitate safe and effective vaccination of the patient population, while reducing the burden on facilities and Virginia local health departments.

Residents will not incur any costs to receive the vaccine.

For more information on the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care Program, please click here.

Vaccine FAQ

 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

We understand that some of you may be concerned about the safety of these new vaccines, as they have been developed and tested more quickly than those in the past. The speed with which these vaccines were developed is not due to skipping important steps, but rather the result of focused, collaborative work performed by experts across the globe. The COVID-19 vaccines approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have undergone the same rigorous testing as other vaccines.

Most COVID-19 vaccines require two separate doses given about three or four weeks apart, with protection beginning 1-2 weeks after the second dose. The COVID-19 vaccine cannot give you a COVID-19 infection. The vaccine works by helping the body create antibodies to fight off the virus. Feeling discomfort after getting the vaccine means that the vaccine is doing its job and your body is making antibodies. It is safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine even if you have had COVID-19. In fact, even if you have had COVID-19 or have positive antibodies, it is important you get vaccinated because it could give you longer or better protection against the disease.

For additional information on the vaccine, the testing and approval process, its efficacy, and possible side effects, please click here for a helpful Q&A developed by The Society for Post-acute and Long-term Care Medicine.

Additional Vaccine Resources

It is important to get information from reliable sources such as the CDC and medical professionals. Here are a few links to helpful information, which is being updated frequently:

Last updated: 3/10/2021