New York City is beginning to see the “real world” effect of COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 hospitalizations among senior citizens have dropped by 51% since mid-January, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Choskhi said Wednesday. The drop is nearly twice the reduction in hospitalizations among New Yorkers younger than 65, which has decreased by 29%.
Chokshi pointed to COVID-19 vaccines, which were prioritized for older people through senior center programs and age requirements to reach the most vulnerable in the early days of the vaccine rollout. Over 61% of older adults have received at least one shot.
“The vaccines are life-saving, and here in New York City, we are starting to see them have the real world benefit that has been observed in Israel, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere,” Chokshi said during a press briefing on Wednesday. Israel’s early and robust rollout meant nearly all of its oldest citizens had been fully vaccinated by mid-March. The nation witnessed a rapid decline in cases, first among older groups but then into children who haven’t been vaccinated, according to numbers compiled by Our World In Data.
“What’s been proven now very, very clearly is the power of this vaccine to protect our seniors—to protect everyone—but particularly those who are most vulnerable,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters.
https://gothamist.com/news/covid-hospitalizations-cut-half-among-older-new-yorkers-thanks-vaccines
