Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Older seniors falling behind on vaccinations
As more Floridians become eligible for COVID vaccines, one group appears to be falling behind: The very old.
The vaccination rate for people 85 and up has fallen below the rate for younger age groups, even though older people with the disease face a far higher risk of death. At the same time, the state plans to expand access to the vaccines, lowering the age limit Monday to 60.
Experts say the vaccination rate among the very old may have begun to decline after the state’s vaccine blitz of assisted-living facilities, which left out older people living at home. Seniors living on their own would face the same vaccine shortages and overloaded web pages as everyone else, often compounded by a lack of access to the internet and the absence of a car.
“I’ve been trying to get online for the past three weeks to set up an appointment with Publix,” said Betty Ladelfa, 86, who lives in a senior community in Boca Raton. “Apparently there’s too many people trying to get in and not enough vaccines. Now I see they’re going to drop it down to people who are 60. Everyone should get the vaccination, but I don’t know why they’re dropping it down yet.”
The vaccination rate for the 85+ group is 55%, compared to 63% from people aged 65 to 84, according to statistics generated by Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Although the gap may not appear large, it has been growing since early February, with the older group falling further behind. Salemi said the gap may have arisen after the campaign to vaccinate seniors at assisted
living facilities but otherwise wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know why,” Salemi said. “Could it be they’re not at long-term care facilities but they’re not healthy enough to go out? What prevents people from getting it? Are they more vaccine hesitant? But they’re the high-risk group.”
The existing obstacles to getting a vaccine are often worse for older people, said Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, chairwoman of the Epidemiology Department at Florida International University.
“If an 85-year-old has a family member to help them make appointments and get to appointments, it’s doable,” she said. “If otherwise, it can be extremely difficult.”
The senior vaccination rate is important. Gov. Ron DeSantis made it a priority from the start, arguing that seniors faced the highest risk of severe illness from the disease.
The chance of dying from COVID skyrockets with age. About one in four people aged 85 and up who get COVID die from it, according to statistics from the Florida Department of Health. Although this age bracket accounts for just 2% of Florida cases, it accounts for 32% of deaths.
The state on Monday will lower the age limit for vaccine eligibility to 60, vastly expanding the number of people who can get shots.
Aware of the difficulty of reaching older people stuck at home, the state this week established a new way for homebound seniors to obtain the vaccines. To sign up for a home visit, email HomeboundVaccine@em.myflorida.com.
The state had previously established “strike teams” to administer the vaccines where people live. To date, they have vaccinated 1,500 people, DeSantis said.
In the meantime, as they wait for the shots, many seniors like Betty Ladelfa will continue to be careful.
“I only go to the grocery store about every three weeks,” she said. “I haven’t been in a beauty salon in over a year, and I desperately need a haircut. I will continue to wear my mask. Never do I go to a restaurant, even outside. I’ll just be cautious, and when I get a vaccine, I’ll get it. That’s all I can do.”