The United States has already vaccinated 75% of its seniors against COVID-19

The United States put coronavirus vaccines in 75% of the arms of the elderly until Saturday, a massive vaccination rate for one of the groups hardest hit by the pandemic, but several states have gone even further and have immunized more than eight in ten elderly people, reported Forbes.

About 41 million older Americans – or 75% of this age group – have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 54.7% of Americans 65 and older are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Saturday.

Vermont leads the country in immunization of the elderlyIt administered at least one dose to 88.9% of its elderly residents, in part because the state allowed elderly people to receive the vaccine earlier than virtually any other high-risk group.

Connecticut, South Dakota, Maine and Rhode Island have vaccinated more than 84% of their seniors. And Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Delaware, and Iowa have reached over 80% of older residents.

Hawaii ranks 50th, with 63.7% of its seniors vaccinated, although the state’s overall immunization rate is slightly above the national average, possibly because Hawaii has opened up vaccines to 65-year-olds. and over a year, a little later than the other states. Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi have also vaccinated less than two-thirds of elderly residents.

Most states have allowed older people to receive coronavirus vaccines before the general public, a decision based on their extreme risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19. But each state has established its own eligibility rules, which has resulted in different levels of coverage. For example, Florida allowed everyone aged 65 and over to register at the end of December, which overwhelmed some vaccination clinics, but made its senior vaccination rate the highest in the country. earlier this year, while other states allowed frontline workers and people aged 75 and over to get vaccinated earlier. than older younger people.

All 50 states will remove their eligibility rules early next month, releasing vaccines for all adults who want them.. The change means that the elderly – who currently make up nearly 40% of the vaccinated U.S. population – will receive a smaller share of vaccine doses. Still, public health officials are hoping that many doses will be available: Vaccinations have been ramping up for months, setting a one-day record of nearly 4.1 million vaccines reported on Saturday, and drugmakers are hoping continue to increase their production.

According to official figures, 429,600 Americans over 65 have died from Covid-19, more than 80% of the country’s coronavirus deaths.

According to the CDC, in total, 161 million doses were applied in North America. These data involve 30% of the population with at least one application and 18% already fully vaccinated.

Confirming the dramatic progress of the vaccination campaign in the United States, President Joe Biden promised last week that 90% of adults could receive vaccines by April 19. The Democratic President’s new goal is for Americans to come together “in small groups” to celebrate the Fourth of July National Day.

There are currently three licensed vaccines in the United States: Johnson & Johnson (one dose) and the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna (two dose) alliance.

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