Recent research underscored the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination among nursing home residents.
Vaccines play a crucial role in preventing severe outcomes associated with COVID-19, and staying up to date with recommended vaccination is essential. Previous data suggested that receiving a bivalent vaccine dose provided additional protection against COVID-19 for individuals who previously received monovalent vaccines. However, limited information existed regarding the effectiveness of up-to-date vaccination status among nursing home residents.
A new study focusing on nursing home residents who remained up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, primarily through the administration of bivalent vaccines, revealed a vaccine effectiveness of 31.2% against SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Given the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing home residents due to factors such as age, co-morbidities and living in congregate settings, it is crucial for this vulnerable population to receive adequate protection. The administration of a primary COVID-19 mRNA vaccination series and booster doses has proven effective in reducing COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality among nursing home residents.
Starting in October 2022, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) defined up-to-date vaccination as the receipt of a bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine dose or completion of a primary series within the preceding two months. However, the effectiveness of being up to date with COVID-19 vaccination in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among nursing home residents remained unknown.
To address this knowledge gap, the NHSN analyzed nursing home COVID-19 data reported between Nov. 20, 2022, and Jan. 8, 2023. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of up-to-date vaccination status, compared to not being up-to-date, in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among nursing home residents. After adjusting for…
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