Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Nursing Home Staff via Statewide Policy

The Mississippi Vaccinate or Test Out Policy

Bibliographic Data

ID11020895
AuthorsMaggie L Syme (0000-0003-3260-5568, All authors are with Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA. Sarah Berry is also with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.), Natalia Gouskova (0000-0001-7488-5014, All authors are with Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA. Sarah Berry is also with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.), Sarah D Berry (0000-0002-3793-4187, All authors are with Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA. Sarah Berry is also with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School, Boston.)
Year2022
Volume112
Issue5
Pages762-765
Publication date2022-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2022.306800
PMID35324261
OpenAlexW4220829737
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited5

Objectives. To examine whether COVID-19 vaccine mandates that allow a test-out exemption for nursing home staff are associated with increased staff vaccination rates in nursing homes. Methods. Using the National Healthcare Safety Network data, we conducted analyses to test trends over time in statewide staff vaccination rates between June 1, 2021, and August 29, 2021, in Mississippi, 4 adjacent states, and the United States overall. Results. COVID-19 staff vaccination rates increased slowly following Mississippi enacting a vaccinate-or-test-out policy, achieving small, but statistically greater gains than most comparator states. Yet, staff vaccination rates in Mississippi remained well below the national average and similar numerically to surrounding states without mandates. Conclusions. Mississippi’s COVID-19 vaccinate-or-test policy was ineffective in meaningfully increasing staff vaccination rates. For COVID-19 nursing home mandates to be effective while still balancing the staff turnover risks, facilities might consider a more stringent or hybrid approach (e.g., test-out option not offered to new staff). Public Health Implications. Statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandates, when given a test-out option, do not appear to be an effective strategy to meaningfully increase nursing home staff COVID-19 vaccination. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(5):762–765. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306800 )

Health care · Nursing homes · Nursing staff · Public health · Test (biology) · Vaccination · Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes · Influenza Virus Research Studies · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy

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