Coverage with Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Among Nursing Home Residents - National Healthcare Safety Network, United States, December 2023

Abstract

Nursing home residents are at risk for becoming infected with and experiencing severe complications from respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Fall 2023 is the first season during which vaccines are simultaneously available to protect older adults in the United States against all three of these respiratory viruses. Nursing homes are required to report COVID-19 vaccination coverage and can voluntarily report influenza and RSV vaccination coverage among residents to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network. The purpose of this study was to assess COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccination coverage among nursing home residents during the current 2023-24 respiratory virus season. As of December 10, 2023, 33.1% of nursing home residents were up to date with vaccination against COVID-19. Among residents at 20.2% and 19.4% of facilities that elected to report, coverage with influenza and RSV vaccines was 72.0% and 9.8%, respectively. Vaccination varied by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services region, social vulnerability index level, and facility size. There is an urgent need to protect nursing home residents against severe outcomes of respiratory illnesses by continuing efforts to increase vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza and discussing vaccination against RSV with eligible residents during the ongoing 2023-24 respiratory virus season.

FIGURE

Estimates of coverage with updated (2023–2024) COVID-19 vaccination (A), influenza vaccination (B), and RSV vaccination (C) among nursing home residents, by U.S. jurisdiction — National Healthcare Safety Network, United States, December 2023 Abbreviations: DC = District of Columbia; NR = not reported; PR = Puerto Rico; RSV = respiratory syncytial virus. * Estimates of coverage (percentage of residents vaccinated) with influenza, RSV, and updated (2023-2024) COVID-19 vaccines were calculated using Poisson regression models. Residents who reported having a medical contraindication to each vaccine were subtracted from the corresponding denominator. ^† Data reported from nursing homes certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the week of December 10, 2023, (or the preceding week if data for December 10, 2023, were not available) were used for analysis. Facilities were excluded from the coverage estimates if they reported zero residents or did not report data for either the week of December 10, 2023, or the week of December 3, 2023 (467 facilities were excluded for COVID-19; 12,067 were excluded for influenza; and 12,174 were excluded for RSV).