MCLEAN, Va. — A recent survey of Sunrise Senior Living residents and families found that more than 92 percent of respondents would “definitely” or “probably” request the vaccine for themselves, or their loved ones.
This data point is one of several findings in a recent survey powered by Qualtrics with more than 8,000 respondents. According to Pew Research Center, only 60 percent of all Americans said they would definitely or probably get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19.
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McLean-based Sunrise recently announced that its senior living communities, which offer assisted living, memory care, independent living and skilled nursing, are preparing for vaccine clinics to start as early as the end of December. The organization is monitoring each state’s distribution plans and is in regular contact with its vaccine partner, CVS Health, as well as federal health agencies and officials, to prepare for the much-anticipated vaccine clinics.
“The availability of a COVID-19 vaccine is a bright spot in an extremely challenging year for our residents, families and team members, and we are thrilled to see that residents and families share our excitement about this development,” says Sue Coppola, chief clinical officer at Sunrise Senior Living and a registered nurse. “There is still much work to do as we monitor states’ plans for the rollout of vaccine clinics across the country, but this data is extremely encouraging as we offer vaccination for residents in each Sunrise community.”
More than 79 percent of survey respondents say they definitely plan to receive the vaccine themselves, or plan to get their loved ones vaccinated, while 80 percent want to receive the vaccine “as soon as it is available for them.” For those who indicated they would participate in an upcoming vaccine clinic, the potential for side effects (47 percent) and vaccine effectiveness (30 percent) are the most common areas of interest.
Sunrise will encourage all residents and team members at its 275 U.S. communities to participate in the vaccine program, subject to and consistent with federal, state and local public health laws and guidelines as they evolve, but also noted that it does not plan to ease its enhanced infection control protocols.
“An effective vaccine will help reduce the risk of transmission, but we still need to remain vigilant and follow the evidence-based infection control measures that have helped keep our residents and team members safe throughout this pandemic,” says Coppola. “Mask wearing, social distancing, handwashing and other infection control protocols aren’t going anywhere any time soon, but we have every reason to be optimistic for the future.”