COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Residents and Staff Members of Assisted Living and Residential Care Communities—Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, December 2020–April 2021

Abstract

Objectives: In December 2020, CDC launched the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination of residents and staff in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), including assisted living (AL) and other residential care (RC) communities. We aimed to assess vaccine uptake in these communities and identify characteristics that might impact uptake. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: AL/RC communities in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program that had 1 on-site vaccination clinic during December 18, 2020eApril 21, 2021. Methods: We estimated uptake using the cumulative number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered and normalizing by the number of AL/RC community beds. We estimated the percentage of residents vaccinated in 3 states using AL census counts. We linked community vaccine administration data with county-level social vulnerability index (SVI) measures to calculate median vaccine uptake by SVI tertile. Results: In AL communities, a median of 67 residents [interquartile range (IQR): 48-90] and 32 staff members (IQR: 15-60) per 100 beds received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the first on-site clinic; in RC, a median of 8 residents (IQR: 5-10) and 5 staff members (IQR: 2-12) per 10 beds received a first dose. Among 3 states with available AL resident census data, median resident first-dose uptake at the first clinic was 93% (IQR: 85-108) in Connecticut, 85% in Georgia (IQR: 70-102), and 78% (IQR: 56-91) in Tennessee. Among both residents and staff, cumulative first-dose vaccine uptake increased with increasing social vulnerability related to housing type and transportation. Conclusions and Implications: COVID-19 vaccination of residents and staff in LTCFs is a public health priority. On-site clinics may help to increase vaccine uptake, particularly when transportation may be a barrier. Ensuring steady access to COVID-19 vaccine in LTCFs following the conclusion of the Pharmacy Partnership is critical to maintaining high vaccination coverage among residents and staff.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors and Spatial Effects

“…Most residents should also have the same opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccination service provided locally to the public. Nevertheless, the vaccination rates of different population groups might differ due to their own inherent characteristics and behaviors, including the influence of social networks [ 18 ] and access to the vaccine sites [ 24 ].…”

Employer requirements and COVID-19 vaccination and attitudes among healthcare personnel in the U.S.: Findings from National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, August – September 2021

“…Yet, COVID-19 vaccination coverage was 75% at the end of June 2021 [26] . Further studies suggest that vaccination uptake was inequitable among HCP, with lower vaccination coverage among lower paid occupations and in facilities located in areas of high social vulnerability [17] , [12] . In this context, individual health facilities began to put in place vaccination requirements for staff [23] , [30] .…”

Employer Requirements and COVID-19 Vaccination and Attitudes among Healthcare Personnel in the U.S.: Findings from National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, August – September 2021

“…Yet, COVID-19 vaccination coverage was 75% at the end of June 2021 (NC DHHS, 2021). Further studies suggest that vaccination uptake was inequitable among HCP, with lower vaccination coverage among lower paid occupations and in facilities located in areas of high social vulnerability (Lee, 2021; Gharpure, 2021). In this context, individual health facilities began to put in place vaccination requirements for staff (Miller, 2021; Ritter, 2021).…”