Michigan nursing homes ordered to offer on-site booster shot

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s health director is ordering nursing homes to offer on-site booster shots to residents who aren’t up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine. The facilities must comply within 30 days.

About 75% of eligible nursing home residents have gotten a booster dose. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer previously set a goal of getting 95% of eligible residents a booster by the end of January.

Elizabeth Hertel, director of the state health department, said Thursday that vaccinations are even more important because the rapidly spreading omicron variant can more readily evade people’s immunity from vaccines and past infections.

The order doesn’t require nursing home residents to be vaccinated.