FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2021 
Contact: Deborah Pacyna

Vaccination Rates Soar in Skilled Nursing Homes 

Eight in ten are partially or totally vaccinated

SACRAMENTO, CA – In spite of earlier concerns of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among nursing home residents and employees, California skilled nursing providers have reason to celebrate. 

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that 92 percent of skilled nursing workers have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and 86 percent of workers are fully vaccinated. In addition, 98 percent of residents have received one vaccination and 89 percent are fully vaccinated. 

The CDPH is monitoring and updating daily vaccination rates for approximately 130,000 staff and 85,000 skilled nursing residents. 

“We are grateful that the Newsom administration prioritized skilled nursing residents and workers for the initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Craig Cornett CEO/President of the California Association of Health Facilities. “The early intervention saved lives.” 

“The vaccine acceptance rate is beyond our expectations and with ongoing weekly testing of staff, the rate of infection has remained below two percent. This is an incredible achievement for our skilled nursing providers,” he added. 

COVID-19 vaccinations in nursing homes began taking place in California in late Dec. 2020. Most of the state’s skilled nursing facilities participated in the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care, which paired nursing homes with CVS or Walgreens pharmacies to distribute the vaccinations. In Los Angeles, which has the nation’s largest concentration of skilled nursing facilities, individual providers worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to distribute the Moderna vaccine to residents and staff. 

View the data, including a breakout of specific facilities at the California Department of Public Health data portal.