Vaccines may have prevented a quarter-million Covid-19 cases and 39,000 deaths among seniors--study

Vaccinations prevented at least a quarter of a million Covid-19 infections among seniors and tens of thousands of deaths just between January and May of this year.

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

 

Seniors have been hit hard by the pandemic. Nearly 80% of Covid-19 deaths have been among people 65 and older. These numbers show why public health leaders have been pushing so hard to get people vaccinated.

 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people 65 and older who are fully vaccinated saw a 94% reduced risk of hospitalization.

 

The positive impact the vaccines had were seen across all racial and ethnic groups and across all 48 states where research was available. HHS estimates there was 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 Asian, it was a reduction of 7,600 infections and 1,400 deaths. ...