Unvaccinated staff eyed in rising nursing home cases, deaths

Hamish Howl · Jul 21, 2021

Unvaccinated staff eyed in rising nursing home cases, deaths

Lagging vaccination rates among nursing home staff are being linked to a national increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths at senior facilities, and are at the center of a federal investigation in a hard-hit Colorado location where disease detectives found many workers were not inoculated.

apnews.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lagging vaccination rates among nursing home staff are being linked to a national increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths at senior facilities, and are at the center of a federal investigation in a hard-hit Colorado location where disease detectives found many workers were not inoculated.

The investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of facilities in the Grand Junction, Colorado, area raises concerns among public health doctors that successes in protecting vulnerable elders with vaccines could be in peril as the more aggressive delta variant spreads across the country.

Nationally about 59% of nursing home staff have gotten their shots, about the same as the overall percentage of fully vaccinated adults — but significantly lower than the roughly 80% of residents who are vaccinated, according to Medicare. And some states have much lower vaccination rates of around 40%.

So what do we call this? Negligent homicide? Manslaughter?

Argent · Jul 22, 2021

The charge should be, imo, whichever is the more serious crime and carries the harshest sentence.

Hamish Howl · Jul 22, 2021

There should be a charge of "Criminal stupidity" or "aggravated indifference."

justabubba · Jul 22, 2021

why is vaccination not a prerequisite to employment in a senior care facility?

Antiwar · Jul 22, 2021

Hamish Howl said:
So what do we call this? Negligent homicide? Manslaughter?

I think a causal link would be necessary to charge someone or an organization. That seems like it'd be impossible to do, especially since there's a pandemic.

I suppose you can call it whatever you want to call it.

MaryP · Jul 22, 2021

justabubba said:
why is vaccination not a prerequisite to employment in a senior care facility?

IKR? i thought our state took care of that, going to the nursing homes and vaccinating the patients snd staff. But a new report out today shows only 70% of employees have been vaccinated. To embarrass facilities with low rates, DHHS is now reporting % in each facility. For some of our long term care facilities, it's a pretty competitive market, so it might work.

trixare4kids · Jul 22, 2021

"Many operators of elder care facilities do not want to make vaccines mandatory, over concerns it will lead to people quitting. At one Indiana nursing home, where 44 percent of the staff is vaccinated, seven residents died of COVID-19 during an outbreak that started in mid-June; one of the victims was vaccinated. Howard County health officer Dr. Emily Backer told AP the staff vaccination rate is "lower than we'd like. But at this point, they can't force them." https://news.yahoo.com/unvaccinated-nursing-home-staffers-linked-235040881.html

Why worry about workers quitting?
Is there a shortage of workers to replace those who quit or are fired? Could it be that Biden and some states are paying workers to stay home?

snakestretcher · Jul 22, 2021

justabubba said:
why is vaccination not a prerequisite to employment in a senior care facility?

Mandatory vaccination for care home staff has been made law here...

Everyone working in care homes to be fully vaccinated under new law to protect residents

People working in CQC-registered care homes will need to be fully COVID-19 vaccinated with both doses.

www.gov.uk

Unvaccinated staff eyed in rising nursing home cases, deaths

Hamish Howl

Horrible Bastard