A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that COVID-19 vaccinations may have helped prevent roughly 12,000 new COVID-19 infections and 1,800 deaths among seniors in Ohio during the first five months of 2021.
The study, conducted by researchers with HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), also found that nationally, vaccinations were linked to a reduction of approximately 265,000 COVID-19 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations and 39,000 deaths among Medicare beneficiaries between January and May 2021.
“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 press release.
The report reflects the devastating effect COVID-19 has had on vulnerable seniors and demonstrates that efforts to prioritize and vaccinate this group directly correlate to saving lives, the release said. More than 352,000 lives were lost during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the availability of vaccines, nearly 80% of these deaths were among people 65 and older who were also eligible for Medicare.
The study also claims high vaccination rates for all adults were even more protective for Medicare beneficiaries than just a high elderly vaccination rate on its own. The COVID-19 vaccines protect communities by reducing infections, deaths and hospitalizations, according to the release.
