Illinois Announces Shipment of Flu
Vaccine for Nursing Home Residents
on Medicaid
Two-thirds of the Illinois nursing
home population to receive flu vaccine; One-third
remains at high-risk
CHICAGO — Following on the heels of Governor
Blagojevich’s request to import doses of the flu
vaccine for nursing home residents, and the FDA’s
preliminary decision not to approve the request,
Illinois state agencies have announced a shipment of the
flu vaccine which will be distributed to all nursing
home residents on Medicaid. Currently, two-thirds of the
nursing home population, or roughly 70,000 residents,
are on Medicaid, leaving approximately 30,000 residents
plus 50,000 priority direct care workers without the
vaccine at risk of becoming seriously ill this winter.
Long term care industry veteran Susan Duda Gardiner,
director of clinical services for the Illinois Council
on Long Term Care, is available to provide valuable
insight into how the flu vaccine shortage will affect
nursing home residents. Gardiner also can offer safety
tips for those who are visiting loved ones in nursing
homes.
The Illinois Council on Long Term care applauds the
Illinois state agencies responsible for securing the
doses of the flu vaccine and is grateful for the state’s
assistance in making the flu vaccine a priority for
nursing home residents. However, one third of the
elderly population in nursing homes remains in jeopardy
of contracting the flu. Without additional doses of the
flu vaccine, the Illinois nursing home population faces
an active spread of the flu and a winter fraught with
debilitating illness.
INTERVIEW: To arrange an interview with Susan
Duda Gardiner of the Illinois Council on Long Term Care,
please call Kevin Kavanaugh at 773-478-6613.
