CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Long-term care facility staff saw some of the worst of what COVID-19 did to the seniors in our community, but health officials said even still, not all of them are opting in to get the vaccine.
Health officials said there has finally been a dramatic decrease in cases since the vaccine has become available, so they believe it’s crucial that these staff members are comfortable enough to get on board.
"When we talk about herd immunity, this is sort of a small-scale herd immunity that we’re seeing here," Mecklenburg County health director Gibbie Harris said.
Harris said long-term care facilities are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
"As these folks are getting vaccinated, and the people that interact with them and care for them get vaccinated, we’re really seeing the impact,” Harris said.
Harris said within months, the COVID-19 death percentage has already been cut in half.
"In December, 54% of all of our deaths from covid occurred in long-term care facilities," Harris said. "In February it was 20%.”
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services case rates are down 15-fold in nursing homes and adult care facilities since the peak in January.
"It's an incredibly hopeful time," Adam Sholer, president of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association said. "This past year of this pandemic has been just an incredibly heavy physical and emotional toll.”
But Sholer said despite the sickness and death long-term care staff experienced, not all of them were lining up for the vaccine.
"We have heard hesitancy among some long-term care staff members," Sholer said.
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Sholer said part of it was natural skepticism being first on the priority list.
"There was this hesitancy of hey, we’re first in line, this is a new vaccine," Sholer said. "There were other concerns around the speed at which the vaccine was developed."
It's why the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living created a website specifically to dispel rumors for long-term care workers, which Sholer believes should help.
"If you provide people with answers to their questions it helps them make an informed decision and overwhelmingly they’re taking the vaccine," Sholer said.
Sholer said willingness for the vaccine has improved over time, but they’re hoping for full participation to ensure the patients and staff are protected.
Have a relative or friend in another state and want to know when they can get vaccinated? Visit NBC News' Plan Your Vaccine site to find out about each state's vaccine rollout plan.