As of June 20, only one in five nursing homes had met the industry goal of having at least 75% of staff members fully vaccinated, according to an AARP analysis released yesterday.
Nationally, about 56% of healthcare staff members in nursing homes have been fully vaccinated. AARP said. A wide range of vaccination rates exists among the states, from a low of 41% in Louisiana to a high of 84% in Hawaii.
Only in Hawaii, California, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., did at least half of the facilities meet the minimum expectation set by the American Health Care Association and LeadingAge in February. The organizations had sought to have 75% of workers fully vaccinated by July 1. AHCA has vowed to continue to encourage nursing home staff members to get vaccinated.
Nationally, about 78% of nursing home residents have been fully vaccinated, AARP said. At the state level, the percentage ranges from a low of 63% in Arizona to a high of 95% in Vermont.
A correlation exists between staff and resident vaccination rates. In states where vaccination rates for staff members are low, data show that there is also a greater percentage of unvaccinated residents, according to AARP.
