The American Health Care Association (AHCA), which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the country along with aging services provider association LeadingAge have announced a nationwide goal of getting 75 percent of the approximately 1.5 million nursing home staff vaccinated by June 30, 2021.

According to a preliminary analysis conducted by the AHCA, COVID cases decreased at a faster rate among nursing homes that had completed their first vaccine clinic, compared to those nearby that had not yet administered the vaccine in the first month of the vaccine rollout. Recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data shows cases and deaths in nursing homes are declining rapidly, which hopefully indicates the vaccines are reducing the spread of the virus, according to the AHCA.

“With COVID-19 vaccinations being distributed across long term care facilities over the past two months, we have already seen a decline in cases in nursing homes, indicating that the vaccines are working,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO at AHCA. “Many of our staff continue to be excited about the vaccines and the hope they represent, but some caregivers still have questions. We are continuing to inform our staff about the credibility and safety of the vaccines through our #GetVaccinated campaign, and we hope this goal will further encourage more of our staff members to get the vaccine.”