January 15, 2021 Washington, DC—Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of mission-driven aging services providers, and Acting President and CEO, Visiting Nurse Associations of America on the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines: 

“With COVID-19 death tolls topping 4,000 a day, it’s chilling to hear that vaccine stockpiles may have been misrepresented, and that older Americans who have been dying in record numbers might suffer as a result.

We hope these reports are not true.  For weeks, state policy makers, distribution partners and aging services providers have been basing their vaccine allocations and strategies on vaccine stockpile estimates.   

Because more than 265,000 people 65 or over have died of COVID, we have been pleased that many states have made the right decision to prioritize older Americans and their caregivers for immunizations, and that the process is underway in long-term care.  We hope this news is not a setback for those people, as well as others waiting for vaccinations in home health, hospice, PACE programs, adult day or other settings.  

COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate based on where an older adult lives or who is providing them with care.  That’s why, on January 13, LeadingAge wrote a letter to the Biden-Harris transition team, reinforcing the importance of prioritizing vaccinations for staff who provide care in the home and community.”

We represent more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we use applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building to make America a better place to grow old. Our membership encompasses the entire continuum of aging and disability services. We bring together the most inventive minds in the field to lead and innovate solutions that support older adults wherever they call home. For more information visit leadingage.org.