The COVID vaccination rate among nursing home employees is 'unacceptable' and must change, Murphy

[TexasTowelie]

The COVID vaccination rate among nursing home employees is ‘unacceptable’ and must change, Murphy says


Only half of the people who work in long-term care facilities in New Jersey have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, an “unacceptable” rate that must change in order to protect vulnerable residents, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday.

Although the number of cases and fatalities among nursing home and assisted living facility residents is declining, there are still 273 active outbreaks, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during the governor’s pandemic briefing.

Experts agree that employees are the likely source of the continuing COVID-19 outbreaks because they go home after work and may be employed at more than one facility.

Long-term care residents were given priority status when the vaccine first arrived in December, 90% of assisted living residents and 72% of other long-term care residents are fully vaccinated, Persichilli said. Yet only 50% of the people taking care of these residents are taken the shots, she said.

Read more: https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2021/03/the-covid-vaccination-rate-among-nursing-home-employees-is-unacceptable-and-must-change-murphy-says.html