AARP COVID Dashboard
AARP is gathering federal data as part of its COVID-19 nursing home dashboards, which are summarized in four-week periods. AARP said its latest tracking data showed only 60% of long-term care facility workers in America have received their COVID shots.
CMS reports that 62% of nursing home staff are vaccinated. However, vaccination rates ranges from a high of 89% to a low of 44%. This is low considering nursing homes being the deadliest places for covid. Nursing homes had 33% of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S.
The industry lobbyists promised 75% months ago when they were taking bailouts. A requirement is needed to get the unpersuadable to vaccinate.
“Vaccination mandates for healthcare personnel should be applied to all healthcare settings.” said American Health Care Association President and CEO Mark Parkinson. Groups such as the American Medical Association also support vaccination mandates for health-care employees. About one-fourth of hospitals have already mandated vaccinations for employees, according to the American Hospital Association, an amount currently much greater than nursing homes.
Current patient vaccination rates stand above 84%. The residents understand the dangers. The caregivers should too.
“If you visit, live or work in a nursing home, you should not be at a high risk for contracting COVID from unvaccinated employees,” Biden said.
75 million Americans are eligible but haven’t yet been vaccinated. What are they waiting for?
Meanwhile, schools are the next epicenter. Republican Governors in Texas, Florida, Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah have banned mask mandates in schools. This anti-science ideology must stop. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends masks in schools.
In Florida, the current death rate exceeds its highest number of deaths in any earlier wave of the pandemic. Florida had more than 150,000 new coronavirus infections last week.