Partly True: Almost 70 percent of Americans over 65 years of age are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

By: Khagesh KG
May 5 2021

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Sixty-nine percent of fully vaccinated adults over 65 years were 94 percent less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19.On April 28, 2021, President Joe Biden addressed a joint session of Congress, one day before his first 100 days in office. While addressing the session, President Biden said that when he was elected to the office, less than one percent of seniors citizens were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 100 days later, nearly 70 percent of seniors are fully protected against the virus. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assessment, adults above 65 years were 94 percent less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those of the same age who were not vaccinated. Adults who were partially vaccinated were 64 percent less likely to be hospitalized with the virus than those who were not vaccinated. These findings confirm that mRNA vaccines prevent severe COVID-19 symptoms. The COVID-19 vaccine is strongly recommended for those over the age of 65 under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as older people are more vulnerable to the virus. However, vaccination does not fully protect people who had received only the first dose of the vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are approved and recommended in the U.S. to protect against COVID-19 among adults. As per the data released by the CDC, the total number of doses administered in the United States is 247,769,049. The number of people above 65 years who were fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 stands at 38,202,296 (69 percent). However, the World Health Organization (WHO) still states that even if one has been vaccinated, they still have to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. In an interview, Dr. Katherine O'Brien told WHO that it is unknown how long a person's immunity will last after taking both doses of a vaccine. "We're following people who have received vaccinations to find out whether or not their immune response is durable over time and the length of time for which they're protected against disease," said Dr. O'Brien. CDC stated that it is still learning "how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines may work against some variants but could be less effective against others." The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.