Targeting coronavirus vaccines to nursing homes appears to have resulted in lower COVID-19 deaths and cases than in the general U.S. population.
New research from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that weekly COVID-19 deaths among residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities fell from 6,019 on Dec. 21 to 2,054 by Feb. 7, a drop of 66%. The vaccination campaign began in nursing homes on Dec. 18.
Among the U.S. population, weekly deaths increased during that period by 61%, from 12,325 to 19,848.
NURSING HOMES SAW DROP IN COVID-19 CASES AFTER FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE: STUDY
Weekly cases of COVID-19 declined among residents of long-term care facilities over that same period by 83%. Cases among the rest of the U.S. population also declined but by a slower rate of 41%.
It is the first evidence that a population targeted for vaccination is experiencing a drop in COVID-19 compared to the overall population. Previous research had found that cases had fallen faster in nursing homes that had vaccinated residents and staff during the first week of the campaign when compared to nursing homes that did not.
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Over 1.9 million nursing home residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and about 1.1 million have received a second dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
