Vaccines could have resulted in more than a quarter of a million fewer Covid-19 cases and 39,000 deaths in the elderly

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“We had been dealing with epidemics all the time. Everywhere, in a ton of facilities, big, small, rich, poor, it didn’t matter,” said Dr Louise Aronson, professor in the division. of UCSF Geriatrics.

But in February, when older people started getting vaccinated in greater numbers, the ministry began deleting names from those outbreak lists.

“I think it was April when all the whiteboards were empty. I took a picture of it with my phone. It was so fast. The vaccines have been transformational,” Aronson told CNN.

These “visible miracles” unfolded across the country this spring, according to a new report released Tuesday by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Vaccinations have prevented at least a quarter of a million Covid-19 infections in the elderly and tens of thousands of deaths just between January and May of this year.

The report by researchers from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the HHS found that vaccinations for Medicare beneficiaries were linked to a reduction of around 265,000 new Covid-19 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations and 39 000 deaths during this period.

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Seniors are hit hard by the pandemic. Almost 80% of deaths from Covid-19 concern people aged 65 and over. These numbers show why public health officials have gone to such lengths to get people vaccinated.

“The fact that you were able to stop so many deaths and many cases and hospitalizations even so early, just a few months after people could get vaccinated, it really shows you that the vaccine is working,” Dr Claudia Hoyen, who does not did not work on this study, told CNN. She is an infectious disease specialist and director of pediatric infection control at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people 65 and older who were fully vaccinated saw a 94% reduced risk of hospitalization.
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Seniors are now the most vaccinated demographic in the United States. More than 94% of seniors have now received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. Even in Alabama, where vaccination is slow, seniors are the most vaccinated of all age groups, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

When all adults had high vaccination rates in an area, not just the elderly, the protection was even better.

The positive impact of vaccines was seen in all racial and ethnic groups and in all 48 states where research was available. The HHS estimates that there has been a reduction of 29,000 infections and nearly 4,600 deaths among black Medicare beneficiaries and a similar number among Hispanic beneficiaries. For people who identify as Asians, this is a reduction of 7,600 infections and 1,400 deaths.

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Vaccinations made the biggest difference in preventing deaths and hospitalizations among Native Alaskan and Native American communities, the report said, with an estimated reduction in infections of 21%, compared to 18% among white populations, and a reduction 25% of the number of deaths compared to 22% among whites.

“This report reaffirms what we regularly hear from states: COVID-19 vaccines save lives, prevent hospitalizations and reduce infections,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration has prioritized the rapid flow of vaccines to pharmacies, nursing homes, doctor’s offices and even provided increased reimbursement rates for COVID-19 home vaccinations,” so that the elderly and others can easily get vaccinated. “

Due to the decrease in immunity, the CDC now recommends that people 65 years of age and older receive a booster at least six months after their primary series if they have received the Pfizer-BioNTech injections. About 8% of people 65 and over already have it.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisers are expected to discuss booster doses for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines later this month.

“I hope that makes a lot of seniors really excited that they are now eligible for callbacks if they are away for six months,” Hoyen said. “And as we move into winter we want to make sure everyone’s immunity is in place, so this would also be a good time for these seniors to go ahead and think about the reminders. and flu shots. “

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