Nursing home vaccinations coming as deaths nearly triple in Tippecanoe County

Officials are hopeful on-site vaccinations beginning next month will stop the toll of COVID-19 at long-term care facilities.

Began vaccinating nursing home residents and staff across the state of indiana.

And news 18's joe paul asked officials today when they expect vaccinations to begin in tippecanoe county.

<covid-19 deaths among nursing home residents continue to rise in tippecanoe county, including five residents at westminster village in west lafayette.

But officials are hopeful upcoming on- site vaccinations will keep residents and staff safe from the virus.

"this certainly is momentous.

It's providing a lot of hope that we're finally getting to the end."

Indiana veterans' home superintendent joy grow says the past year has been tough on her staff and residents.

But the new covid-19 vaccines are a light at the end of the tunnel.

"i would say we're on the front line of this and i know a lot of the emplo tired, it's been a long year."

One-hundred and forty residents and many staff at the veterans' home will receive the covid-19 vaccine on january 12th.

The home is one of many local long-term care facilities partnering with cvs health to provide on- site vaccinations next month.

Sarah edington, district leader for cvs health, says the effort in indiana began this week.

"in the state of indiana, we have one- thousand skilled nursing facilities that we'll be visiting with the potential to vaccinate 140- thousand patients between the skilled nursing and assisted living facilities."

The initiative comes just in time as deaths among nursing home residents nearly tripled in december from ten to at least twenty-nine.

That accounts for more than a fourth of all covid-19 deaths in tippecanoe county.

"it's critical.

It's the first step to vaccinating america.

We're starting with this really vulnerable population and making sure the staff who goes home at night and comes back is vaccinated so not to bring in any covid-19 into the facility."

Edington says cvs in indiana will administer moderna's version of the vaccine, which requires less tense refrigeration than the pfizer-biontech vaccine.

She says the general public will be able to schedule vaccinations at cvs locations nationwide as early as this spring.

Reporting in west lafayette, joe paul, news 18.

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