This article published with permission of RACMonitor, and first appeared in RACMonitor News on 2/18/21.
COVID-19 vaccine distribution has prompted headache across the states. However, older adults have been especially challenged with access. Those older adults who “have less” in the form of economic and/or health limitations, as well as family and peer support are struggling. For those persons who have experienced historical and other types of trauma, these disparities will further impact their functioning, morbidity, and mortality.
A new issue brief by the Kaiser Family Foundation details how severe the issue is.
As one of the major populations living amid the social determinants, adults over 65 years of age have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. This age group has comprised 75% of all COVID-19 deaths for each month since the pandemic hit its peak last Spring; mortality rates reached 82% of the population in May 2020. Since then, concerning numbers have emerged
- Hospitalization rate for adults ages 65 to 74 is over 2.5 times higher than for those in the 40-49 year old age group
- The difference in mortality rates is vast:
- Death rates for adults 65 to 74 years old is over 9.5 times higher than for adults ages 40-49.
- For individuals 65 and older, the incidence of hospitalizations and deaths increases with age. The rate of hospitalizations is more than 2.5 times higher and deaths 7.4 times higher among those 85 and older compared to those 65-74.
Disparities in vaccine allocation and distribution for older adults continues:
- In theory, persons over age 75 should be prioritized for the vaccine, in group 1a.
- However, for states reporting COVID-19 vaccinations by age, the majority of older adults have not yet received their first dose.
- This range varies from 10% of older adults in Pennsylvania to 34% in W. Virginia
- 9 states report vaccinating at least 20% of their 65 and older population:
- West Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Delaware, Texas, Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin, plus the District of Columbia
- Older adults account for the majority of people vaccinated in less than 50% of states
- In 23 states reporting vaccine data by race, Blacks and Latinx are vaccinated at a far lower rate than whites. Many persons also lack the necessary internet access or digital devices to sign up for the vaccine on available portals.
- A recent survey from the University of Michigan revealed close to 50% of Black seniors and 53% of Latinx older adults lack online patient portals with their health care providers, compared with 39% of white elders.
In a number of states, residents in the priority group continue to wait their turn, including my home state of Virginia. As few as 13,000 doses were available for a waiting list of over 180,000 residents last week. While the state’s new vaccine dashboard shows improvement this week from rising vaccine availability to increased use of neighborhood and community health clinics in the vaccination effort, more must be done to promote vaccine access and distribution, especially for those eligible on priority lists.
This week's Monitor Monday Survey asked listeners, How do you rate vaccine distribution in your state? The results spoke volumes about the realities faced by far too many individuals and can be viewed here.
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