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Many nursing home staff across the country have refused the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CDC researchers examined more than 11.00 qualified nursing facilities that had at least one vaccination clinic between mid-December and mid-January, finding that nearly 78% of residents at those facilities received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. But among staff members, estimates have dropped to 37.5%.
“The program has achieved moderately high coverage among residents; however, there is a need to continue to develop and implement targeted communication and outreach strategies to improve immunization coverage of staff members in [skilled nursing facilities] and other long-term care facilities, ”the researchers wrote in the report.
“The lower percentage of staff vaccinated raises concerns about the low coverage among a population at high risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2,” they added.
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The results provide evidence of a problem that has been widely reported anecdotally so far.
Data previously showed that people who work in nursing homes and long-term care facilities receive flu shots at lower rates than other healthcare workers, the CDC noted in the report. . Polls suggest long-term care workers are skeptical about the effectiveness of vaccines and don’t think viruses spread easily from them to the people they care for.
The issue was discussed last week at a meeting of an expert group that advises the CDC on vaccine policy. At the meeting, CDC’s Dr Amanda Cohn said more staff get vaccinated when a second or third clinic is held at home.
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“It will be really important to continue to capture staff members who did not accept the vaccine early, as we try to eliminate epidemics and protect staff and residents of long-term care facilities,” said Cohn.
The government has tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering vaccines to long-term care homes in almost all states. Each vaccine requires two injections a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have closed first-dose clinics in nursing homes. The chains plan three visits to each location.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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