Bennet, Casey, Wyden, Kelly Seek Assurances on Federal COVID-19 Response in Nursing Homes as Omicron Spreads

Press Release

In the face of surging Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra seeking information on the agency's steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among nursing home residents and workers. Recent reporting highlights concerns about the administration of booster shots and second primary doses to nursing home residents and workers.

"We are concerned that just 55 percent of fully vaccinated nursing home residents nationally have received additional primary or booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of December 12, 2021," wrote Bennet and the senators. "Worker uptake of additional primary and booster vaccine doses is even lower at 23 percent nationally… Racial disparities in vaccination rates also must continue to be addressed. Research has shown that people of color are more likely to live in nursing homes with low vaccination rates, while Black and Hispanic people in the general population make up a disproportionately small share of booster dose recipients."

The letter asks HHS to provide information on its steps to ensure vaccinations and booster shots are readily accessible in all nursing homes, including those in rural areas where vaccine uptake is often lower than the national average. Bennet and the senators are also seeking information about any supply chain issues, staffing shortages or other obstacles the Biden Administration has observed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance that all adults receive booster doses to better protect themselves against COVID-19, including the highly infectious omicron and delta variants.

More than 200,000 people living and working in long-term care facilities have died from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

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