29% of Wisconsin Nursing Home Resident Have Received a COVID Booster

Saturday, December 18th, 2021 -- 8:00 AM

(WMTV) Twenty nine percent of nursing home residents and just over one in 10 nursing home staff in Wisconsin have received a COVID-19 booster as of mid-November, AARP reported Thursday.

According to AARP, the numbers are concerning as COVID-19 cases in nursing homes are rising again nationally, as well as increased community spread. Wisconsin COVID-19 cases have increased slightly from a rate of 1.4 per 100 residents in mid-October to 1.8 per 100 in mid-November, AARP said.

“COVID-19 continues to infiltrate America’s nursing homes with more than 1,500 new nursing home resident deaths nationally for the third consecutive month,” AARP Wisconsin Interim State Director Christina FitzPatrick said. “Increasing vaccination rates – including boosters – among nursing home residents and staff is key to protecting our loved ones and getting the pandemic under control.

Nursing home deaths from the virus have decreased slightly from 0.19 per 100 residents in mid-October, to 0.14 in mid-November. As of Nov. 21, 72.4% of nursing home staff and 89% of residents are vaccinated.

“AARP calls on nursing homes, state and federal authorities, and others to increase access to and receipt of COVID-19 boosters for both nursing home staff and residents,” FitzPatrick said.

“As new variants emerge and vaccine immunity wanes, the low number of residents and staff who have received a booster creates an unacceptable level of risk since the disease spreads so easily in these environments.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.