Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), February 8th: This Early Stage of the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out, Most Older Adults Have Not Yet Been Vaccinated As Supply Remains Limited

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, older adults have been at greater risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19. In mid-January, the Trump Administration advised states to expand vaccine eligibility to people ages 65 and older, in addition to health care workers, and residents and staff in long-term care facilities – a recommendation that was reinforced by the incoming Biden Administration. As of February 1, 2021, more than half of all states (29 states and the District of Columbia) have expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to include people 65 and older.

To date, nearly 32 million people, or about 10% of the US population, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the CDC, adults ages 65 and older, including residents of long-term care facilities who are primarily in this age group, account for 29% of all people who were administered a COVID-19 vaccine dose in the first month of vaccination, disproportionate to their share of the overall population (15%). Nationwide, more than 54 million people are age 65 or older, in addition to those who are living in long-term care facilities.

This analysis looks at COVID-19 vaccination rates among older adults at the state level, and the share of all vaccines administered that have been given to older adults, among the 28 states and DC that are currently reporting vaccination data by age as of February 4, 2021. This analysis covers the early stages of vaccination efforts when many – but not all – states had recently expanded eligibility to include the 65-and-older population but still coping with high demand and very limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

Findings

Older adults have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, with the highest cumulative rates of hospitalizations and deaths (Figure 1). Hospitalization and death rates due to COVID-19 increase with age. For example, the hospitalization rate for adults 65 to 74 is more than 2.5 times higher than for adults ages 40-49 years old. The differences in death rates are even more dramatic: the death rate for adults 65 to 74 is more than 9.5 times higher than among adults ages 40-49. And even among people ages 65 and older, rates of hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase as age increases. 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.

Adults 65 and older have comprised the majority – at least 75% – of all COVID-19 deaths in every month since the significant escalation of the pandemic in Spring 2020 (Figure 2). The share of people who died of COVID-19 who were 65 and older reached a high of 82% in May 2020 before dipping somewhat in the summer months, but has remained higher than 80% since October 2020. More than half of COVID-19 deaths overall have been among people 75 and older.

As of February 4, 2021, 28 states and the District of Columbia are reporting some COVID-19 vaccination data by age – but not all of these states have expanded to begin vaccinating people 65 and older specifically (Figure 3; Appendix Table 1). Of states reporting vaccination data by age, 15 are reporting data for adults 65 and older, all of which have expanded vaccinations to this age group; 13 are reporting data for adults 60 and older, 4 of which have expanded vaccinations to people 65 and older; and 1 is reporting data for adults 70 and older (in addition to data for people 50 to 69 years old). Some of the most populous states in the country, including New York and California, are not currently reporting vaccination data by age.