Decreases in COVID-19 Cases, Emergency Department Visits, Hospital Admissions, and Deaths Among Older Adults Following the Introduction of COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, September 6, 2020–May 1, 2021

Details

• Personal Author:
  Christie, Athalia ; Henley, S. Jane ; Mattocks, Linda ; Fernando, Robyn ; Lansky, Amy ; Ahmad, Farida B. ; Adjemian, Jennifer ; Anderson, Robert N. ; Binder, Alison M. ; Carey, Kelly ; Dee, Deborah L. ; Dias, Taylor ; Duck, William M. ; Gaughan, Denise M. ; Lyons, Brianna Casey ; McNaghten, A. D. ; Park, Meeyoung M. ; Reses, Hannah ; Rodgers, P Loren ; van Santen, Katharina ; Walker, David ; Beach, Michael J.
• Corporate Authors:
  CDC COVID-19 Response Team.
• Description:
  What is already known about this topic? COVID-19 vaccination began in the United States in December 2020, and adults aged ≥65 years were prioritized in early phases.
  
  What is added by this report? By May 1, 2021, 82%, 63%, and 42% of adults aged ≥65, 50–64, and 18–49 years, respectively, had received ≥1 vaccine dose. From November 29–December 12, 2020 to April 18–May 1, 2021, the rate ratios of COVID-19 incidence, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths among adults aged ≥65 years (≥70 years for hospitalizations) to adults aged 18–49 years declined 40%, 59%, 65%, and 66%, respectively.
  
  What are the implications for public health practice? The greater decline in COVID-19 morbidity and Mortality in older adults, the age group with the highest vaccination rates, demonstrates the potential impact of increasing population-level vaccination coverage.
  
  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older U.S. adults have been at increased risk for severe COVID-19–associated illness and death (1). On December 14, 2020, the United States began a nationwide vaccination campaign after the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended prioritizing health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities, followed by essential workers and persons at risk for severe illness, including adults aged ≥65 years, in the early phases of the vaccination program (2). By May 1, 2021, 82%, 63%, and 42% of persons aged ≥65, 50–64, and 18–49 years, respectively, had received ≥1 COVID-19 vaccine dose. CDC calculated the rates of COVID-19 cases, emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, and deaths by age group during November 29–December 12, 2020 (prevaccine) and April 18–May 1, 2021. The rate ratios comparing the oldest age groups (≥70 years for hospital admissions; ≥65 years for other measures) with adults aged 18–49 years were 40%, 59%, 65%, and 66% lower, respectively, in the latter period. These differential declines are likely due, in part, to higher COVID-19 vaccination coverage among older adults, highlighting the potential benefits of rapidly increasing vaccination coverage.
  
  Suggested citation for this article: Christie A, Henley SJ, Mattocks L, et al. Decreases in COVID-19 Cases, Emergency Department Visits, Hospital Admissions, and Deaths Among Older Adults Following the Introduction of COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, September 6, 2020–May 1, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 8 June 2021.
  
  mm7023e2.htm?s_cid=mm7023e2_w
  
  mm7023e2-H.pdf
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Aged Aged, 80 And Over Age Distribution CoronaVirus Infections COVID-19 Hospitalization Treatment Outcome
• Source:
  MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2021; v. 70 Early Release
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Pages in Document:
  7 pdf pages
• Volume:
  70
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1eb409679e282bfa751edf57e4e54ebde2cfa398ceacb923d53513cae9a89232ba7f8f3b6963e30c269b71336194b3ca1b0383461628c8900656ddd8a16499aa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/106875/cdc_106875_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 322.74 KB ]