Few nursing home residents, staff received latest COVID-19 vaccine

Only 38% of nursing home residents and 15% of staff have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine, even though over 20% of all U.S. COVID-19 deaths occur in long-term care facilities, a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of federal data found. In comparison, 50% of residents and 22% of staff received updated vaccines in 2022, and 87% of residents and 88% of staff completed the initial vaccination series. Vaccination rates range from 20% in Arizona to 63% in Vermont and North Dakota. Nursing staff had less variation and lower vaccination rates across states. The decreased rates are due to a combination of reasons, including fewer federal initiatives aimed at increasing vaccinations, the end of the vaccine mandates for health care workers and decreasing concerns about COVID-19 risks. (Kaiser Family Foundation news release, 2/13/24)