Close to 90% of all U.S. nursing homes have completed their first coronavirus vaccine clinic, according to new federal data, and the number of people that also have received their booster shot is rising steadily. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated COVID vaccine data tracker showed that more than 2.4 million doses had been administered in long-term care facilities across the country as of Saturday (Jan. 23).

The federal government noted that that it is no longer reporting how many doses have been distributed to long-term care facilities through the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program because “distribution data cannot be separated [between] the program, the pharmacy retail transfer program, and doses distributed from state allocations directly to pharmacies.” Previous data from the CDC stated that 4.5 million doses overall had been sent to long-term care facilities.

The American Health Care Association on Friday explained that the data shows that 99% of nursing homes have set their first vaccine clinics, while 88% have already completed their first clinic. Additionally, about 195,000 residents and workers  in long-term care have received two doses.

The association noted that the COVID vaccines provide “critical protection against the virus, but there is still a long road ahead, as community spread continues to be a major threat to long-term care residents and staff.” 

AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson has been hopeful about vaccine rollout in long-term care.

“We issued a challenge to every governor to have a second dose of vaccine in all long-term care residents by the first of March, and I think we have a really good chance to beat that goal,” Parkinson stated.