The Perfect Enemy | 60% of nursing home residents in Michigan are not boosted against COVID
March 13, 2024

60% of nursing home residents in Michigan are not boosted against COVID

60% of nursing home residents in Michigan are not boosted against COVID  MLive.com

About 4 in 10 seniors living in Michigan nursing homes are up-to-date on their coronavirus vaccines, which could leave many vulnerable if cases surge again this winter.

The rate of nursing home residents who have gotten a bivalent booster shot, which offers enhanced protection against the latest variants, is about 40%, according to the Health Care Association of Michigan. That’s slightly below the national average, but less than half the rate of those who got the original series of shots (86%) in Michigan nursing homes.

It’s a significant shortfall, given that residents 60 and older accounted for 91% of Michigan’s COVID-19 deaths in October. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 4,500 nursing home residents have died from COVID-19, including about 50 per month in September, October and November.

“Lagging booster rates put many nursing home residents and staff at increased risk of infection and even death,” said Paula Cunningham, state director of AARP Michigan, in a prepared statement. “For the safety of some of our most vulnerable loved ones, these facilities must prioritize getting residents and staff up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.”

Bivalent coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna include mRNA components of the original strain and components of the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. Health officials say the shots are meant to offer better protection against newer mutations of the virus.

Related: 11 Michigan counties at medium or high COVID level this week, CDC says

The updated vaccine is recommended for individuals 5 and older in the form of one dose offered at least two months after completion of the primary series. To be considered “up to date” on your COVID vaccination, you must have the most recent booster dose recommended for you by the CDC.

Uptake hasn’t just been slow in nursing homes. The new boosters have been available since September, yet only 13% of the state’s eligible population has gotten boosted.

About 30% of Michiganders 75 and older, and 33.8% of those 65 to 74, have gotten a bivalent booster. That rate drops to 17% for those 50 to 64, 10% for those in their 40s, 8% for those in their 30s, and less than 5% for the rest of the population.

Like nursing home residents, staff have also been slow to get boosted. About 15.5% of staff members in Michigan have reported getting a booster shot, compared to 82% that reported getting the primary vaccine series. The initial series was required of staff, unless they got an exemption, but there is no requirement to be boosted.

Melissa Samuel, president and CEO for the Health Care Association of Michigan, said she doesn’t believe a lack of awareness is the issue causing low uptake. The state requires education of nursing home residents and staff as it relates to vaccination, and HCAM follows up with its members to ensure compliance.

“Compared to the general population, there’s by far and away a great deal more information and education around the importance of vaccination,” she said.

Samuel also indicated the data regarding nursing home vaccination rates for both staff and residents might not be complete. She said there has been confusion around reporting booster data at the state and federal levels, which sparked the CDC to host a webinar earlier this week as a refresher for COVID-19 vaccination reporting for long-term care facilities.

Samuel said it remains critical to continue education efforts while also acknowledging vaccination is a personal choice.

“Where we are today with COVID and everything else that’s now happening around us with the flu and RSV, and is there fatigue around it all; that probably plays into this,” she said. “But it’s important that, specifically for our sector, that we make sure everybody is informed and educated on it and then they make that decision.”

To find a vaccine provider near you, visit Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccine page, here, or call 888-535-6136 and press 1 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the weekend.

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