The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc in the US because so many Americans remain unvaccinated. Thankfully, 90 percent of older adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Political affiliation is not driving vaccination decisions for older adults in the same way that it appears to be keeping younger Republicans from getting vaccinated.
Kaiser Health News reports that nearly 50 million older Americans have been vaccinated. So, even if they are infected with the Delta variant, they are not likely to be hospitalized, much less to die of COVID. That said, those older adults who are not yet vaccinated are taking a huge gamble with their lives.
Overall, many Republicans have chosen against being vaccinated, putting their lives at risk. But, the majority of older adults, regardless of political party, have been vaccinated. Political party has not affected vaccination rates among older adults significantly.
Older adults have benefited from being first up for vaccinations and the focus of many COVID vaccination campaigns. They appear to recognize the dangers of not being vaccinated. The data is clear. Four out of five people who have died of COVID-19 are people over 65.
Still, one in ten older adults still need to be vaccinated. It is doable. Some states have shown the way, doing an especially good job of ensuring older adults are vaccinated. In Vermont, Pennsylvania and Hawaii, the vaccination rate for older adults is 99 percent. West Virginia has the worst rate though far better than the country as a whole, with 78 percent of older adults vaccinated.
Here’s more from Just Care:
Leave a Reply