Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Status Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents — United States, October 31, 2022–May 7, 2023

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report Vol. 72; no. 40; pp. 1095 - 1098
• Main Authors: Haanschoten, Emily, Dubendris, Heather, Reses, Hannah E, Barbre, Kira, Meng, Lu, Benin, Andrea, Bell, Jeneita M
• Format: Journal Article Newsletter
• Language: English
• Published: Atlanta U.S. Government Printing Office 06-10-2023; U.S. Center for Disease Control; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: African Americans; Analysis; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; Cultural differences; Full Report; Geography; Health aspects; Hispanic Americans; Immunization; Infection; Infections; Intellectual disabilities; Long term health care; Long-term care; Long-term care facilities; Long-term care of the sick; Morbidity; Nursing homes; Patient safety; Population; Public health; Race; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Social service; Strategic planning; Vaccination; United States > US
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7240a4

Residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities constitute a population that is vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection; COVID-19 vaccination effectively reduces severe COVID-19 in these settings. To examine demographic differences in primary and up-to-date vaccination status against COVID-19 among LTC facility residents, a descriptive analysis of COVID-19 vaccination data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 vaccination data from October 31, 2022, to May 7, 2023, were analyzed. Being up to date was defined as having received a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine dose or having completed a primary vaccination series <2 months earlier. Geographic disparities in vaccination coverage were identified, with substantially lower prevalences of up-to-date status among LTC facility residents in the South (Region 6) (37.7%) and Southeast (Region 4) (36.5%) than among those in the Pacific Northwest (Region 10) (53.3%) and Mountain West (Region 8) (59.6%) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regions. Up-to-date status was lowest among Black or African American (39.9%) and multiracial (42.2%) LTC facility residents. Strategies to increase up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination among LTC facility residents could include and address these geographic and racial differences.