Based on a study released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the latest omicron booster vaccines are 84% effective in stopping seniors 65 and older from being hospitalized attributable to Covid-19 in comparison with unvaccinated people.
Based on the CDC, seniors who received the omicron booster had 73% higher protection from hospitalization than those that received only two or more doses of the original vaccines that had not been updated to the goal omicron.
The study was conducted from September to November, when omicron BA.5 and much more resistant variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 dominated. The evaluation included roughly 800 seniors with a median age of 76 years.
In a bigger study involving greater than 15,000 adults aged 18 and over, the omicron booster was 57% effective in stopping hospitalization. Adults who received the booster had 38% additional protection in comparison with those that only received the original doses.
None of the studies checked out how well people were protected against hospitalization in the event that they were vaccinated and had natural immunity to previous Covid infection.
A previous CDC study found that boosters were lower than 50% effective at stopping mild illness in most age groups. But distinguished scientists and public health experts said that the effectiveness of injections against hospitalization would almost actually be higher.
US health officials have repeatedly urged everyone who’s eligible to receive an omicron booster before the holidays. But the administration has focused specifically on ensuring more vulnerable populations, akin to the elderly, are up thus far on their Covid vaccines.
Dr. Ashish Jha, leader of the White House Covid Task Force, said the majority of people dying from Covid today are seniors who are usually not maintaining with their injections or not receiving treatment after they have breakthrough infections.
“There are still too many older Americans who have not had their immunity updated, who have not secured themselves,” Jha told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
The Biden administration is launching a campaign to extend vaccinations in nursing homes, whose residents are amongst the most vulnerable to severe Covid. Lower than 50% of nursing home residents received an updated booster.
Overall, only 35% of seniors received an omicron booster, while 14% of those age 5 and older received the updated injection, in response to the CDC.