COVID vaccination rates have fallen nationwide, but a drop in vaccine uptake in nursing homes has public health officials concerned.
The percentage of nursing home residents in Montana who got their updated vaccines fell 15% over the past two years, according to federal data. Just about half of residents are caught up on their shots. Around 33% of all staff were vaccinated in 2022. Now, just 6% are up to date.
Matt Kelley with the Montana Public Health Institute says that’s concerning because elderly are still at risk of severe health complications from COVID.
“When you go into those situations without taking the care to have a vaccine, you’re putting those people at risk. There’s just no other way to think about it,” Kelly says.
People over 75 years old accounted for the vast majority of all COVID deaths during the first two years of the pandemic in Montana, according to state data.
Kelley says many seniors struggled when facilities isolated them before vaccines were available. As they have transitioned back to normal life, he says vaccines are their primary defense.
Kelley says boosting vaccination rates for staff and residents will be hard, as nursing homes can’t require shots. He says it will take a concerted messaging campaign to build trust, which could take years.
