Mandatory Vaccination in Nursing Homes: A Qualitative Study of Resident Perspectives

Infectious diseases, such as respiratory infections, significantly affect older adults, particularly in collective settings, with a high burden of infections peaking in winter (January 2026: 447 COVID-19 cases and 57 flu hospitalizations/100,000 residents).1 Despite strong safety and effectiveness data, vaccine uptake remains below recommendations among residents [2026 US nursing home (NH) COVID-19 vaccination 35%, influenza 58%] and lower among health care professionals (HCPs) (2026 US COVID-19 vaccination 7%).