Of the 3.2 million doses of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 distributed across the U.S., only 13,500 doses have gone to nursing homes, NBC News reported Oct. 31.
Health officials have had difficulty obtaining doses following a federal change limiting distribution.
States have been sending most doses of the monoclonal antibody treatments to hospitals and acute care centers, according to NBC News.
Some states, however, have worked to ensure that long-term care facilities have access to the treatment. Minnesota officials utilize a policy prioritizing residents of nursing facilities through a weighted lottery. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics were directed to the Ascension Borgess Hospital system in Kalamazoo, Mich., to help administer doses following outbreaks at two centers.
In an Oct. 20 letter to White House policy adviser Amy Chang, advocates for long-term care called for a coordinated federal approach to ensure access to treatments.
Neither HHS nor the White House has responded to the letter, NBC News reported.