Despite uncertainty about whether the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate would stand, many nursing homes across the state managed to increase the number of vaccinated staff members over the last few months.
Texas Standard evaluated data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, between Sept. 19 and Dec. 26, 2021, and found that the percentage of fully vaccinated staff grew at 254 nursing facilities registered with the federal agency. Texas has more than 1,200 nursing facilities in the state, hundreds of which still have staff vaccination rates below the threshold of 75% that CMS deems important.
The Texas nursing homes on CMS’s list will now be subjected to the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test rule after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that the rule could stand for health care facilities receiving federal funding. The court struck down a vaccine mandate for large companies. It’s unclear what effect that could have on vaccination rates at Texas assisted living facilities, most of which don’t receive federal money.
Search the map below or hover over points to find vaccination rates, number of vaccinated staff members and change over time at a specific facility.
