Vaccines may have prevented deaths
Analysis looked at infections, deaths and hospitalizations in seniors on Medicare
A new report from federal health officials shows that COVID-19 vaccinations may have prevented more than 1,000 deaths of Oklahoma seniors and other Medicare recipients between January and May this year.
The report released Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that across the U.S., COVID-19 vaccinations were linked to a reduction of 265,000 COVID-19 infections, more than 100,000 hospitalizations and 39,000 deaths in the Medicare population.
The analysis looked at how many infections, hospitalizations and deaths were avoided among Medicare beneficiaries in 48 states, about 85% of which are 65 or older. (Texas and Hawaii were excluded from the report because of data reporting limitations.)
In Oklahoma, researchers found that COVID-19 vaccinations were linked to a
reduction in COVID-19 deaths by 1,100, hospitalizations for COVID-19 by 2,800, and infections by 7,500 in the Medicare population.
“This report reaffirms what we hear routinely from states: COVID-19 vaccines save lives, prevent hospitalizations, and reduce infection,” HHS secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
Oklahoma's vaccination rates are highest among people 65 and older: 80% of that age group is fully vaccinated, and 92% have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Caddo County has the highest percentage of its 65 and older population fully vaccinated: 96.6%, as of the state's most recent epidemiology report.
Of the state's population over age 12, about 57% are fully vaccinated, and nearly 68% have had at least one dose.
Federal health officials said the report underscored why it's important for everyone eligible to get vaccinated. The researchers found that high vaccination rates for all adults offered even more protection to the Medicare beneficiaries they studied, as opposed to high rates of vaccination just for the elderly.
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 were more than 10 times less likely to die from the disease, compared with unvaccinated people.
Anyone 12 and older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. People 65 and older, those who live in nursing homes, adults with certain underlying health conditions, and frontline workers are also eligible for a booster dose if they received the Pfizer vaccine and it has been six months since their second dose.
To find a vaccination appointment near you, visit vaccines.gov or the Oklahoma vaccine scheduling portal at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov.