Some families say they’ll stay away from unvaccinated relatives this Christmas. Andre Ouellet, Unsplash

Some lawmakers keep trying to stop COVID-19 vaccinations from becoming mandatory at businesses or in government, but that doesn’t mean individuals won’t do it.

A survey from New York-based medical malpractice law firm Duffy & Duffy says that more than half of Ohio’s residents — 55% — will demand that holiday gatherings in 2021 only are for those vaccinated from COVID-19 in an effort to protect older relatives. Those families will not welcome unvaccinated individuals into the home. That’s in line with many states throughout the Midwest, Plains and South, according to the survey.

Hawaii is taking the ongoing (and worsening) pandemic most seriously, with 94% of respondents saying they’ll require vaccinations before anyone can get near Grandma.

Duffy & Duffy’s survey also shows that respondents are concerned about aging relatives who live in nursing homes. About 44% say they’re uneasy about unvaccinated nursing home employees partying with other vaccine refusers and then returning to work near relatives. About 74% say that nursing homes should require negative COVID-19 tests for employees to return to work, and 77% say all staff members should be fully vaccinated.

Duffy & Duffy surveyed more than 3,700 people about their holiday plans.

The survey comes as Hamilton County — and both Ohio and Kentucky — is seeing yet another sustained increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as vaccine interest wanes and people gather closely indoors for the holidays.

During a Dec. 15 media briefing with Hamilton County officials, Dr. Richard Lofgren, UC Health’s president and CEO, said that COVID-19 continues to be a big threat within the region.

“If there’s any message I have that’s highlighted in the data, it’s that this pandemic is not over. It is active and alive and is actually overwhelming our health systems,” Lofgren said.

COVID-19 vaccination and testing are important ways to slow the spread of the virus, experts repeatedly have said.

“What you will find is that our week-over-week (COVID) numbers are similar to what we were seeing back last winter,” Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said during that briefing. “Last year… when we were really in the throes of all of this, our numbers now are trending right up into that direction, and that is a terrible thing.”

“That’s why we continue to raise the alarm with people and encourage folks to do what we know works, which is get vaccinated and wear a mask around folks you don’t know and perhaps are unvaccinated,” she continued.

Driehaus said that 90% of people in the hospital with COVID-19 are not vaccinated.

Regional health officials have repeatedly said that the ongoing spread of COVID-19 along with influenza and other respiratory problems are coalescing into a season from hell, and hospitals are overwhelmed.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center recently posted to its social media channels that it was “incredibly full.”

“This high number of patients, along with increased illness in our community means that our system is under stress,” the hospital shared in a Dec. 17 post.

“We are seeing a real mix of things: COVID, flu, RSV and other lesser-known viruses, on top of the volume of very sick children with cancer, transplants, injuries, et cetera that we are always managing,” said Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, chief of staff at Cincinnati Children’s. “Our COVID numbers have been in the double digits for weeks now, and not getting better, unfortunately. “

“Staffing across all of healthcare is strained, and we are not immune from that. Healthcare workers are exhausted as a result of the pandemic and have been at this for almost two years now. We need everyone’s help,” she added.

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This article appears in Dec 8-21, 2021.