A Vaccine-Ready World: Dos And Don’ts

How to tighten up Covid-19 testing and post-vaccination processes

Last year was all about testing. Organizations everywhere scrambled to get Covid-19 testing right to continuously test their populations in order to reopen the economy safely. Now, we (thankfully) have a new element to add to the mix: vaccinations. While vaccines are a huge relief, it’s only natural for anyone in an organization, tasked with testing, to feel nervous about integrating the new vaccination process into an existing Covid-19 testing regimen. It may feel as if juggling one more ball, or adding one more Jenga piece, that could tip the whole thing over. After all, it is a delicate balance: we now need to make sure we know who has been vaccinated, who hasn’t received the vaccine, and who already has the antibodies from prior infections—all while managing populations across these three categories. 

Luckily, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Given my work with organizations across the country to support testing efforts since before Covid-19, I’m sharing the most frequently asked questions I hear time and time again, along with answers to each one. This may help businesses identify what we need to bring into 2021 and beyond to tighten up our Covid-19 testing and post-vaccination processes. It’s what happens after the vaccination that will truly define our path to immunization. 

The biggest questions around vaccination are around availability and timing. As you might expect, there is no simple answer. Most vaccines are being distributed by the federal government to local state authorities, who then decide on distribution to the local population. What we know now is that specific populations are prioritized: frontline workers, essential workers, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. Beyond that, the answer is to look to your state governments’ plan and timeline. I generally advise organizations to begin working on their vaccination plan as if 20-30% of their staff or customers will get vaccinated by Q2 of 2021.

Unfortunately, the exact details as to when you or your employees will receive the vaccine depend on your states’ distribution planning and how well the federal government provides the supply. It is safe to say, however, that most people will see the vaccine in Q2 to Q3 time frame. As has been widely publicized, the mechanism of distribution will most likely be through major pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, or hospitals and clinics in your community. 

No population will be completely vaccinated immediately—unless it is made up of frontline workers. So, we need to plan for a mix of people, identifying who has received the vaccine and others who have not (or may even choose not to). The key to this is tracking. In terms of tracking, there are current requirements for reporting vaccinations to the state authorities. However, there is no one government-approved system for tracking vaccinations for students, employees, or staff. This is why it’s important to do your research and invest in a centralized system that can help track across your population, ensuring everything is captured from who has been vaccinated, who has antibodies, and who has been Covid-19 tested. 

The second key to handling a fluctuating population is to continue testing. Anyone who has not received the vaccine should still continue to participate in your organization’s testing regimen. Should you stop testing altogether, this could allow for the virus to spread undetected. If your whole population has been vaccinated, they will still have to be tested for antibodies. Antibody testing will help identify whether a person is immune or not. Again, tracking is crucial to picking up all these nuances (vaccination, Covid-19 testing, antibody testing) across a group of people. 

Unlike the question on vaccination distribution and exact timing, this one has a very simple answer: no. We do not know for certain how long the vaccine will be effective. Vaccine effectiveness may vary depending on the person, dosages, and other factors. This means we will, again, have to continue testing for Covid-19, as well as antibodies, making sure we are tracking everyone in an organization. With a centralized system that captures your populations’ status, you can help ensure that the economy begins to reopen safely.