125 Update: Omicron and COVID Vaccination in Aging (12.16.21 Edition)

Dr. K provides updated information on Omicron and the current COVID surge, how well vaccines are working in different age groups, why she recommends boosters, how to stay safe during the holidays, and more.
The post 125 Update: COVID Vaccination in Aging (12.16.21 Edition) appeared first on Better Health While Aging.

 In This Episode:

This update covers Omicron, COVID boosters, plus how to search the CDC data to see just how well vaccines have worked, even in older adults. I also show the data demonstrating that vaccinated people age 80+ are still at higher risk of serious COVID than unvaccinated people under age 50; this is why fully vaccinated older adults should take precautions during the current surge!

(View the show notes page to watch my subtitled talk and my slides.)

This episode includes:

What do we know about Omicron so far, and will the vaccines remain protective
Should I get vaccinated against COVID?
Should my 90-year-old mother get the COVID vaccine?
How well does the vaccine work in older adults? How to use CDC data to see how well it works in different age groups
Should I worry that the vaccine might harm me (or my frail older parent)?
Who should get a COVID booster and why?
How to stay safer during the holidays.

Related Episodes:

123 Update: COVID Vaccination in Aging (10.28.21 Edition)

Related Resources:

BHWA:

COVID Vaccination for Aging Adults: What to Know & Do

CDC:

CDC COVID Data Tracker 

County view (to check your local transmission rates)
Rates of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Vaccination Status
Rates of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations by vaccination status

Nursing Home Covid-19 Data Dashboard
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots
Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination
SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant United States, December 1 8, 2021 (report on first Omicron cases in US)
COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Safety (from 11/19/21 CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force Meeting)

From medical journals:

Preliminary findings from study after Christmas party in Oslo (Norwegian Institute of Public Health)
Protection of BNT162b2 Vaccine Booster against Covid-19 in Israel (NEJM Oct 2021)

From news and other media:

Omicron: What We Know About the New Coronavirus Variant (NY Times Dec 2021)
As U.S. Nears 800,000 Virus Deaths, 1 of Every 100 Older Americans Has Perished (NY Times 12/13/21)
For COVID-19, age matters as much as vaccination status (9/27/21)
I’m fully vaccinated and I also had COVID. Do I need a booster? (NPR Nov 2021)
COVID-19 preventable mortality and leading cause of death ranking (Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, Dec 2021)

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The post 125 Update: COVID Vaccination in Aging (12.16.21 Edition) appeared first on Better Health While Aging.