As measles cases continue to rise across Pennsylvania, long-term care providers are confronting an important question: How can they protect frontline staff and residents who may be especially vulnerable to infectious disease?
On October 1, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Office of Long-Term Living and Managed Care Organizations, held a special edition webinar for the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Learning Network, led by JHF Aging Initiatives Program Manager Stacie Bonenberger, MOT, OTR/L. The network, which provides education and resources aimed at improving care for Pennsylvania's long-term care residents, is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services OLTL, Community HealthChoices managed care organizations, and JHF.
Nearly 350 participants tuned in for Immunization Update for Long-Term Care: Clearing Up Confusion around Measles, featuring experts from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) Bureau of Immunizations.
It is the third time the Learning Network has held a special edition webinar, reflecting the urgency of the current resurgence of measles. Previous sessions were convenedin 2022 to respond to other emerging public health concerns: a July webinar on COVID-19 therapeutics and an August session on monkeypox.
The latest special edition focused on the role vaccinations play in protecting long-term care communities, practical strategies for improving staff immunization, and Pennsylvania's response to the ongoing measles outbreak. Speakers included: Sri Parajuli, RN, BSN, MPH, public health program administrator at DOH and Sarah Rosado, RN, BSN, division director of immunization field services at DOH.
During the presentation, Parajuli explained that many long-term care residents may be unable to receive certain vaccines or may not develop as strong an immune response, making the immunity of people around them especially important. Healthcare workers also face greater exposure to infectious diseases and can unknowingly transmit infections to residents.
For long-term care organizations, Parajuli recommended making vaccination as easy as possible for staff by offering vaccines on site at no cost during work hours, incorporating immunization into employee onboarding, simplifying vaccination tracking, and creating a workplace culture where staff can ask questions without judgement.
The return of measles underscores the importance of keeping vaccination rates high among healthcare workers.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but declining vaccination rates have allowed the highly contagious disease to return. As of October 5, Pennsylvania had recorded 1,004 confirmed measles cases across 39 counties and five measles-associated deaths in 2026 (see PA Measles Dashboard here). Nationally, more than 3,800 cases have been reported as of October 5.
Rather than relying solely on traditional healthcare settings, DOH is working with trusted community leaders to organize vaccination clinics in schools, doctors' offices, fire halls, and even private homes. Evening and Saturday clinics have helped reach people when they are available.
The approach is showing results. More than 8,800 MMR doses were administered statewide in September. Rosado said this is more than double the number typically administered in a month, according to DOH.
"Beginning with the COVID pandemic, and most recently with the measles outbreak, JHF has been "the key resource" that the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has used to rapidly convene a large number of the long-term care staff throughout the Commonwealth that are involved in providing care to those affected by these emerging and dangerous diseases," said OLTL Medical Director Larry Appel, MD, SFHM. "JHF's ability to provide rapid turnaround, broad notification, a great and flexible platform, and excellent hosting of presentations have made the difference and undoubtedly saved countless lives in these facilities."
