October 18, 2016 5:08 PM

Joint committee drills down on how to avoid spread of flu in nursing homes

Texas’ 500 nursing homes want to discourage residents and staff from opting out of vaccines but the state has a high percentage of people who do

A nursing facility’s ability to fight diseases like pneumonia and influenza should be incorporated into the state’s rating system of nursing homes, Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, told his colleagues on the Joint Committee on Aging.

An outbreak of the flu or pneumonia can be deadly to medically fragile nursing home residents. That’s why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rolled out new regulations this month to report, track and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. It’s also why Texas’ 500 nursing homes want to discourage residents and staff from opting out of vaccines.

Texas has a perhaps surprisingly high percentage of residents and their families who decline to be vaccinated.

Numbers presented by the Texas Healthcare Association last week indicate 16 percent of families decline the influenza vaccine, and 23 percent decline the pneumococcal vaccines, said Paul Gerharter of Touchstone Communities.

By Kimberly Reeves