Vaccinated adults aged 65 + are 94% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID than their unvaccinated peers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that fully vaccinated adults 65 years and older were 94% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people of the same age who were not vaccinated.

The findings, released April 28, confirmed clinical trial data showing vaccines prevent severe COVID-19 illness, according to the CDC.  The risk for severe illness with COVID-19 increases with age, the CDC reports, with older adults at highest risk.

“These findings are encouraging and welcome news for the two-thirds of people aged 65 and up who are already fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the CDC. “The results are promising for our communities and hospitals. As our vaccination efforts continue to expand, COVID-19 patients will not overwhelm health care systems – leaving hospital staff, beds, and services available for people who need them for other medical conditions.”

According to a database maintained by The New York Times and based on CDC data, as of Monday, 69% of those 65 or older in Northampton County had been fully vaccinated and 77% in Lehigh County.

The assessment looked at 417 participants in 24 hospitals in 14 states. Close to half of the patients were more than 75 years old.

In this CDC assessment, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine products were equally represented.

The CDC recommends everyone 16 years of age and older in the U.S. population get the applicable COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.