Only about 17% of nursing home residents and 2% of staff are up to date on their COVID-19 shots as cases rise across the country and health officials prepare for another seasonal tripledemic of respiratory diseases.
The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures show takeup of the updated vaccine is lagging in the high-risk setting and could reflect the troubled rollout of updated shots that slowed distribution to long-term care facilities.
- The Biden administration also lifted a vaccine mandate for health workers and other requirements with the end of the public health emergency.
- That’s left some of the most vulnerable Americans unprotected against the most common strains of the virus in circulation.