Long-term care facilities in New Hampshire are reporting they are struggling to get enough COVID-19 vaccines to their residents. As winter approaches, nursing homes are in the process of vaccinating their residents with influenza and respiratory vaccines. Syncytial virus and new coronavirus infection. But for the first time since the pandemic began, facilities are struggling to find enough vaccine supplies. “We’re seeing nursing homes here participating in some sort of ‘Hunger Games.’ Make sure you have the vaccine supply,” said Brendan Williams, president of the New Hampshire Medical Association. Nursing homes typically order vaccines through long-term care pharmacies. But those pharmacies are running low on supplies. Williams said Manchester’s Hanover Hill ordered 100 shots at the end of September but only received 20. The issue is not a priority for the federal government, he said, and health care providers at some New Hampshire facilities are desperate. “There was one manager here,” he told me over the weekend, who was loading up a bus and taking everyone to the pharmacy outside the facility, which is not how it should be. said Williams. He said the vaccination process at the facility is cumbersome. Medicare covers the vaccine, but it does not cover costs for health care providers, such as billing Medicare or nurse time to administer the vaccine. But Williams said the problem is secondary if the vaccine isn’t even available in the first place: “Nurses within nursing homes have the capacity to administer the vaccine. We just need the supply.” . “The vaccine is not in supply.” Williams said some nursing homes are encouraging residents to take their residents to local pharmacies to get their family members vaccinated.
Long-term care facilities in New Hampshire are reporting difficulty getting enough COVID-19 vaccines to residents.
As winter approaches, nursing homes are in the process of vaccinating residents against influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19. But for the first time since the pandemic began, facilities are struggling to find enough vaccine supplies.
“Nursing homes are engaged in a kind of ‘Hunger Games’ here, trying to fend for themselves and acquire vaccine supply,” said Brendan Williams, president of the New Hampshire Medical Association.
Nursing homes typically order vaccines through long-term care pharmacies. But those pharmacies are running low on supplies. Hanover Hill in Manchester ordered 100 shots in late September but only received 20, Williams said.
He said the issue is not a priority for the federal government and health care providers at some New Hampshire facilities are desperate.
“One of the managers here told me over the weekend that he was loading up a bus and taking everyone to an off-site pharmacy. That’s not how it should be,” Williams said.
He said the vaccination process at the facility is cumbersome.meanwhile Medicare covers vaccines, it does not cover health care provider costs, such as Medicare billing or nurse time to administer the vaccine. But Williams said the problem is secondary if the vaccine isn’t even available in the first place.
“We have the capacity within nursing homes for nurses to vaccinate. We just need the supply,” he said. “The supply is not coming.”
Williams said some nursing homes are encouraging family members to take residents to local pharmacies to get vaccinated.
