Stunning Vaccine Stat: 98.5% Of U.S. Seniors Have Had Shot - Forbes

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Topline

Close to 100% of U.S. adults ages 65 and older have now received at least a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bolstering the country’s vaccination rate as younger age groups continue to lag behind.

Key Facts

The CDC reports 98.5% of adults 65 and older have received at least a first vaccine dose as of Wednesday, while 85.8% are fully vaccinated.

That includes 99.9% of adults ages 65-74 who have received a first shot (88.2% fully vaccinated) and 95.7% of those 75 and older (83% fully vaccinated), according to CDC data.

The percentage of vaccinated seniors is far higher than the 67.7% of the total U.S. population that’s received at least a first dose, including 79% of those 12 and older and 80.9% of all adults.

Younger Americans are less likely to be vaccinated, with 57.3% of those ages 12-15, 64.1% of ages 16-17, 67% of ages 18-24, 70.6% of ages 25-39, 78.6% of ages 40-49 and 85.9% of ages 50-64 receiving at least one shot.

Cases have declined among over-65s as a result of their high vaccination rates, with cases among those ages 65-74 going from 337 per 100,000 people in January, before vaccines were widely available, to 157 cases per 100,000 in early September during the delta variant surge and 64 cases per 100,000 as of November 6.

Deaths have gone down even more, particularly for those over age 75, going from 53.5 per 100,000 people in January to 15 deaths per 100,000 in September and 0.7 per 100,000 as of November.

What To Watch For

How many senior citizens will receive booster shots, which are now authorized for the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. So far 32.4% of those 65 and older have received a booster shot, according to the CDC, compared with 14.4% of U.S. adults overall. Booster shots have been recommended in light of evidence showing the vaccines’ effectiveness against Covid-19 infections wanes over time—though they remain highly protective against severe illness and death—though there may be struggles with ensuring all vaccinated seniors get a third shot. California officials expressed concern last week that demand for booster shots in the state has been lower than expected, particularly among older adults.

Key Background

Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, as evidence shows older adults are at a far higher risk of severe illness and death, and were among the first groups eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine earlier this year as a result. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported adults ages 65 and up accounted for 16% of the population but 80% of all Covid-19 deaths as of September 29, and deaths have notably been higher in areas with lower vaccination rates. Given their higher risk, older adults have also recorded lower rates of vaccine hesitancy than younger Americans, with a Morning Consult poll conducted November 2-8 finding only 12% of those 65 and older are uncertain about the vaccine—down from 18% in March—versus 27% of adults overall.