A new CDC study published Wednesday has found that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID vaccines are 94% effective at preventing hospitalizations among fully vaccinated adults ages 65 and older, according to CNBC.
Both vaccines are based on mRNA and are to be given in two doses four weeks apart.
The study has also found that the vaccines are 64% effective at preventing hospitalizations in older people who received just one dose.
Researchers evaluated more than 400 hospitalized adults across 14 states between January and March and found that the results were consistent with the ones found in clinical trials.
The CDC wrote, “This multisite U.S. evaluation under real-world conditions suggests that vaccination provided protection against COVID-19–associated hospitalization among adults aged ≥65 years. Vaccination is a critical tool for reducing severe COVID-19 in groups at high risk.”
Public health officials had previously said that COVID hospitalizations among older people, who are at increased risk for severe illness, have tumbled since the vaccines first became available in the United States at the end of 2020.
The CDC said as of Tuesday, more than 81% of Americans aged 65 and above have received at least one shot of either Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Also, it said over 67% of Americans aged 65 and older are fully vaccinated.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the new findings were “encouraging and welcome news” for the entire nation.
She said, “The results are promising for our communities and hospitals. As our vaccination efforts continue to expand, COVID-19 patients will not overwhelm health care systems — leaving hospital staff, beds, and services available for people who need them for other medical conditions.”
Earlier this week, the nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said people should begin to see a turning point in the pandemic “within a few weeks” as the officials continue to vaccinate more and more Americans at a rapid pace.
If that continues at a good pace, “literally within a few weeks, we’re going to start to see a turning around of the dynamics,” said Dr. Fauci.
“Not down to no infections,” he added. “If you’re waiting for classic measles-like herd immunity, that’s going to be a while before we get there. But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to have a significant diminution in the number of infections per day and a significant diminution in all of the parameters, namely hospitalizations and deaths.” The article was published Wednesday on CNBC.
