BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A recent report by the CDC indicates that a particular age group, when boosted, has some of the best protection against the delta and omicron variants of COVID-19.
According to the CDC’s most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), individuals over the age of 50 who have been fully vaccinated and received a booster have higher protection against delta and omicron.
“Protection against infection and death during the Delta-predominant period and against infection during Omicron-emergence were higher among booster vaccine dose recipients, and especially among persons aged 50–64 and ≥65 years,” the report explains.
Data from the report also shows that unvaccinated people over 65 are 49 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than seniors who have received a booster shot in addition to their full vaccination series, and 50-64 year-olds who remain unvaccinated are 44 times more likely to be hospitalized compared to vaccinated and boosted individuals in their age group.
Overall, boosters play a key role in protecting against variants of the virus no matter one’s age, the CDC says, and they recommend that everyone who is eligible be fully vaccinated and boosted.
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