U.S. requiring nursing homes staff to get vaccinated

On Wednesday, President Biden announced that he is directing all nursing homes to require their staff to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding. Biden is directing the Department of Health and Human Services to write up new regulations to apply to over 15,000 nursing home facilities, which employ about 1.3 million workers and serve approximately 1.6 million nursing home residents. 

The new orders represent Biden’s campaign effort to get Americans vaccinated and the tools he is willing to use to fulfill his efforts as the new Delta Variant spreads. In addition, the move comes from knowing that the Delta variant now accounts for 99 percent of Covid-19 cases in the United States, with data links between low vaccination rates in certain nursing homes and rising coronavirus cases among residents. 

According to federal data compiled by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, more than seven months after becoming eligible, only about 60 percent of staff in nursing homes and long-term care facilities nationwide were partially or fully vaccinated. Although residents make up only about 1 percent of the U.S. population, their numbers account for more than 20 percent of all deaths nationwide. The new mandate could take effect as soon as next month. 

What is the current status of nursing homes?

Across the nation, the number of infections over the last several months has dropped significantly. However, the number of Covid cases among U.S. nursing-home residents and staff roughly quadrupled. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these numbers are seen from the week ending July 4 to the week ending Aug. 1, with cases of Covid among residents rising to 2,092, the highest reported number since late February.

At The Carlson Law Firm, we care.

If you’ve lost a loved one or have been exposed to Covid-19 in a Texas nursing home, contact our office today. Our nursing home abuse attorneys can help hold the nursing home accountable for failing to prevent or limit the spread of the coronavirus. We can help your family recover compensations for the following:

• Medical expenses
• Funeral Costs
• Emotional Distress
• Pain and Suffering
• Loss of consortium

Call us today to discuss your legal rights. We care and we can help.