Less than 50% of nursing home residents, one of the country’s most vulnerable populations to severe illness from Covid-19, have received an omicron booster ahead of an expected wave of infection this winter.
The Biden administration has made increasing booster uptake among nursing home residents a central part of its strategy to prevent a major spike of hospitalizations and death this winter.
“We are working very closely with leadership of nursing homes across America, and we have asked them to step up to do more,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid taskforce leader, told reporters during a press briefing Thursday.
“And we are reaching out to governors where nursing home vaccination rates are low to offer personalized support,” Jha said.