In April 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that “the elderly are facing most threats and challenges” due to COVID-19. “Elderly people face a significant risk of developing serious illnesses if they contract the disease due to the physiological changes that come with aging and potential underlying health conditions,” they warned. This is exactly why older people have been prioritized in many places around the world when this is the vaccine against COVID-19. And now, there are finally some good news for those over 65, thanks to a new study of the COVID vaccine by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more information on what to expect if you are in this age group, read on and for more information on side effects, see Doctors are warning you to “be prepared” for this after the second dose.
The CDC reports that 8 out of 10 deaths from COVID in the US occurred in adults aged 65 and over. Due to their evident vulnerability, older citizens figure prominently in the groups that the CDC prioritized to receive the vaccine. Group 1a was comprised of health professionals and residents of long-term care institutions, while 1b included essential frontline workers and people aged 75 and over who do not live in health care facilities.
Now, a new CDC study of COVID vaccines given between December 14 and January 13 has shown that older people are much less likely to experience side effects. According to the report, which was published in the Weekly morbidity and mortality report on February 26, less than 3.7 percent of people aged 65-74 years experienced adverse side effects after receiving the vaccine. (The numbers were very similar for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.) The number dropped further to 1.2 percent in the next age group (75-84 years). In contrast, 64.9 percent of young people aged 18 to 49 reported an “adverse event” after being vaccinated. And for more information on how to prepare for your dose, find out why the CDC says don’t do this within 2 weeks of your COVID vaccine.
The AARP looked at why the age group they represent appears to be leaving slightly more than younger patients. “The immune response is more robust if you are young and healthy,” he said Wilbur Chen, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “I have seen health professionals in their 20s and 30s who are bulletproof to be surprised by their response to the vaccine.” And for more COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, added to AARP that the adverse effects we experience after the vaccine tend to be milder in older people because “their immune systems are not responding so vigorously as a young man, but they still receive 95 percent protection against the virus. “
This is great news for the many elderly people who have spent the past year protecting themselves and being extremely cautious because of the virus – when it comes to vaccination, you will get all the benefits and much less disadvantages. And to learn more about the latest news in the fight against COVID, check out These are the side effects of the New Johnson & Johnson vaccine, says the FDA.
Despite the study’s findings, the CDC reports on its website under the guidance “What the elderly need to know about the COVID-19 vaccines” that there are five common side effects to watch for, even for those over 65. According to the agency, “pain at the injection site, fever, chills, tiredness or headache for 1-2 days” are frequent reactions to the vaccine. And for more vaccine news you need to know, see Pfizer’s CEO says you often need a COVID vaccine.