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COVID-19 vaccine clinic toolkit for long-term care facilities

Last updated September 16, 2024.

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Table of contents

Summary of recent changes

The FDA authorized the CDC-approved, updated 2024-2025 formulations of COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax. These vaccines protect against currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.

The 2023-2024 formulations of COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States and should not be administered. If you have an upcoming appointment to receive one of these vaccines, contact your provider about receiving an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine instead.

Vaccination recommendations

COVID-19 vaccination schedule for people who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised (full guidance)

  • Initial vaccination (ages 12 years and older):
    • 1 dose of 2024–2025 Moderna OR
    • 1 dose of 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech OR
    • 2 doses of 2024–­2025 Novavax
  • Received previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (ages 12 years and older):
    • 1 dose of 2024–2025 Moderna or 1 dose of 2024–2025 Pfizer-BioNTech or 1 dose of 2024–2025 Novavax, administered at least two months after the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Additional dose: An additional dose of 2024–­2025 COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 65 years and older who are not moderately or severely immunocompromised is NOT currently recommended.

COVID-19 vaccination schedule for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised (full guidance)

  • Initial vaccination (ages 12 years and older):
    • 3 doses of 2024–­2025 Moderna OR
    • 3 doses of 2024–­2025 Pfizer-BioNTech OR
    • 2 doses of 2024–­2025 Novavax
  • Received previous doses of a COVID-19 vaccine:
    • Recommended COVID-19 vaccine and number of 2024–­2025 doses are based on age and vaccination history
  • Additional doses: People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised ages 6 months and older may receive one or more age-appropriate additional doses of a 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine, at least 2 months after the last 2024-2025 dose.

Groups recommended for vaccination

  • COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older in the United States for the prevention of COVID-19. There is currently no FDA-approved or FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than age 6 months.
  • CDC recommends that people receive all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses. Vaccination is especially important for people at highest risk of severe COVID-19, including people ages 65 years and older; people with underlying medical conditions, including immune compromise; people living in long-term care facilities; and pregnant people to protect themselves and their infants.

There is no preferential recommendation for the use of any one COVID-19 vaccine over another when more than one recommended and age-appropriate vaccine is available.

The emergence and transmission of new COVID-19 variants highlight the continued need for residents and staff of residential and long-term care facilities to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Residents and staff should receive the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine as recommended for their age and immune status as soon as they can. These updated COVID-19 vaccines are formulated to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Vaccine protection decreases over time, so it is important to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination. Staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines reduces your chance of getting seriously sick, needing to be hospitalized, developing Long COVID, or dying due to COVID-19.

Additional COVID-19 vaccination considerations

Vaccination during a COVID-19 outbreak 

Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination is critical to protect both staff and residents against COVID-19. Find on-site vaccination clinic guidance for residential care facilities.

Vaccination after a previous or current COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection 

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older, regardless of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, including people with Long COVID. 

People with known current SARS-CoV-2 infection should defer any COVID-19 vaccination at least until recovery from the acute illness (if symptoms were present). For further information, see CDC’s Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States webpage. 

Additionally, people who recently had SARS-CoV-2 infection may consider delaying a  COVID-19 vaccine dose by three months from when their symptoms started or, if they had no symptoms, when they first tested positive. Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, individual factors such as risk of COVID-19 severe disease and current indicators of community transmission should be taken into account when determining whether to delay getting a COVID-19 vaccination after infection..

Vaccine promotional materials

Vaccine product information

There are currently three 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines authorized and approved for use in the United States: Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax.

Infection prevention recommendations for vaccination clinics

Refer to the On-site Vaccine Clinics at Residential Care Facilities guidance for vaccination clinics conducted in residential care facilities. It is important to follow infection prevention recommendations to prevent transmission of COVID-19 within the facility. Free education is available on infection prevention and control best practices through Project Firstline.  

Colorado Immunization Information System

Immunization records are confidential, personal medical information. The Colorado Immunization Information System is a lifelong immunization record tracking system under the Colorado Immunization Registry Act of 2007.

CIIS has signed agreements with all participating sites that are authorized to provide information to or access information from CIIS. CIIS and all people and entities that access immunization records are required to maintain the confidentiality of those records.

This Colorado Immunization Information System | Department of Public Health & Environment webpage provides information about requesting a copy of your immunization records.

CDPHE encourages facilities to obtain CIIS access to view resident immunization records. The facility COVID-19 Vaccination Coordinator, Backup Coordinator or another facility representative must complete the CIIS training to obtain access to the CIIS system by following these instructions. Additionally, see the CIIS Enrollment Requirement Presentation and this CDPHE CIIS General User Training page. Email the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) team at cdphe.ciis@state.co.us.

Additional resources

COVID-19 vaccine resources 

Long-term care facility resources