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OK, here's the 
I promised on our @tradeoffspod ep on #COVID19 vaccine hesitancy among nursing home staff.
I'll run through some big takeaways here, but you really need to listen to fully appreciate what these workers and facilities are going through. https://tradeoffs.org/2021/01/14/we-need-you/
I promised on our @tradeoffspod ep on #COVID19 vaccine hesitancy among nursing home staff.I'll run through some big takeaways here, but you really need to listen to fully appreciate what these workers and facilities are going through. https://tradeoffs.org/2021/01/14/we-need-you/
Context first: 136K+ deaths, 36% of all U.S. #COVID19 deaths are #LTC residents or staff. And it's as bad as ever in many places (per @preetabread and @KFF). That's why nursing home residents and staff were put at the front of the vaccine line. https://twitter.com/preetabread/status/1349837661343789061?s=20
The problem: many workers are so far declining to get vaccinated. Facilities say most residents are getting shots, but experts like @JasT_PhD say low staff uptake will leave workers themselves at risk, residents less-than-fully protected, and us further away from herd immunity.
How big of a problem is this? There's no comprehensive data yet, and some facilities are reporting 80%+ staff uptake. But others are reporting as low as 20-30% and the anecdotal average appears to be ~50-60%. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-health-workers-676e03a99badfd5ce3a6cfafe383f6af
Why is this happening? Surveys and 1st person accounts suggest side effects are the biggest concern, incl 70% of Indiana workers surveyed in December ( https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.17022). Other concerns include allergic reactions, fertility, developed too fast and lots of misinformation.
Not all workers are hard nos. Many are "not right nows." Folks are nervous about being the first ones to get it, and with side effects so far being minimal, many facilities are optimistic that numbers will tick up. This idea summed up by @JewishHomeFam CEO Carol Silver Elliott.
This shouldn't be that surprising. #LTC workers have the lowest flu vaccine rates of any health care worker, ~70% ( https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/healthcareworkers.htm). And about half of #LTC workers are people of color, who have higher rates of #COVID vaccine hesitancy. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/report/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-december-2020/
Frontline #LTC staff have also been historically underpaid, undervalued and, at times, abused. @JasT_PhD has documented these experiences, especially among POC staff ( https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nin.12315). She says this mistreatment has to be considered in any #COVID19 vaccination effort.
So what can be done? Education is key. A lot of workers said they just don't feel like they know enough about the vaccine. Many facilities are finding that making administrators and especially physicians available to answer questions has been effective.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/toolkits/long-term-care/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/toolkits/long-term-care/index.html
Mandates and incentives have proven effective to increase flu vaccine uptake. Few facilities using mandates so far over fears of people quitting. @junipervillages and @AtriaSL are the only two I've heard of. Juniper says they've had 95% uptake ... and 15 people quit.
More are doing incentives like gift cards, free meals at Waffle House, cash, extra time off ( https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/business/covid-vaccine-health-hospitals.html). See flier for an inter-facility competition for a company in OH/KY. Actively engaging staff is also key to overcoming historic mistrust.
My big takeaway: It's crucial for #LTC staff to get vaccinated. There are research-backed tools to getting there, but we also have to understand that this isn't happening in a vacuum. Race, lack of information, historical mistreatment all play a role. https://tradeoffs.org/2021/01/14/we-need-you/
Again please listen to the full episode to hear from the workers and administrators who are actually going through this: https://tradeoffs.org/2021/01/14/we-need-you/
And thank you to all of the people who talked with me for this story, especially Tracey and Carol from @JewishHomeFam and @JasT_PhD.
And thank you to all of the people who talked with me for this story, especially Tracey and Carol from @JewishHomeFam and @JasT_PhD.
