Slow vaccine rollout will be explored in Thu. webinar with reps of Walgreens, nursing homes, workers and advocates

The slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines is in large part attributable to delays at long-term-care facilities being serviced by CVS Health and Walgreens under a federal contract. This is a local story in any place that has such a facility, and a webinar Thursday could help journalists cover the issue.

"A Shot in the Arm For Long-Term Care Facilities? Early Lessons from the Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout to High-Priority Populations" will be held at noon ET Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"People in nursing homes and other long-term care settings account for 6 percent of cases but 38% of deaths from Covid-19, a share that has remained largely consistent throughout the pandemic," the foundation says. Priya Chidambaram, a senior policy analyst at the foundation, will provide the latest data on cases and deaths in long-term care facilities. A panel discussion will follow, offering perspectives from patients, nursing-home operators, and pharmacy providers:

• Rina Shah, vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens
• Nicole Howell, executive director of Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa and Solano Counties in California, an advocate for long-term-care residents
• Matthew Yarnell, nursing-home chair of the Service Employees International Union, which represents many nursing-home workers
• Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, which represents over 14,000 skilled-nursing facilities and assisted-living centers

The event is open to the public, and will include a question-and-answer session. Questions about it event can be addressed to webbriefings@kff.org. 

The Kaiser Family Foundation has a Covid-19 Vaccine Monitor, that tracks "the public’s evolving views about and experiences with" the vaccines, it says.