CLARKSDALE, Miss (AP) – The first hurdle was getting on the bus. Seventy-four-year-old Linda Busby hesitated outside a community center where older people piled to get the coronavirus vaccine.
“I was scared, I’m not afraid to say that,” she said Wednesday after receiving her injection of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following encouragement from a co-worker and her brother. ‘At first I thought I wouldn’t get it. Nobody likes to take pictures. ”
Busby’s hesitation is exactly what the Biden administration and his allies in the United States are fighting, person by person, as the White House is calling for seniors to get vaccinated. Vaccination coverage for this highest priority group is reaching a plateau, even as supplies have increased.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 76% of Americans 65 and older have received at least one injection of the COVID-19 vaccines since approval in December. But the number of new vaccinations among the group most vulnerable to adverse virus outcomes has slowed dramatically.
It’s a growing concern, not only because of the potential for preventable deaths and serious illness among seniors in the coming months, but also because of what it could predict for America’s wider population.
“I want to appeal directly to our seniors and everyone who cares about them,” President Joe Biden said Tuesday, citing “incredible progress,” but stating that it is still not enough.
“It’s simple: seniors, it’s time to get vaccinated now. Get vaccinated now. “
According to government estimates, about 12.9 million American seniors have yet to get their first chance. Although they were the first age group to receive priority admissions, more than 23% of the over-75s have yet to be vaccinated.
Supply restrictions initially slowed the rate of vaccinations for seniors, but not for months for those in high-priority age groups. Instead, officials say the delay is caused by a mix of issues, from people struggling to find and reach vaccination sites hesitant to vaccinate.
To close the gap, all the obstacles facing seniors, whether they be technological, transportation or personal hesitations, must be considered, said Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, who acknowledged that vaccination coverage “for older adults has declined somewhat. ”
It is a possible harbinger of the challenges facing other demographic groups. All adult Americans are eligible for vaccination within the next two weeks, although the process of giving enough injections to return to “normal” will take months longer. Many states, even if they throw open the doors to eligibility, still maintain priority vaccination systems or special distribution channels to keep seniors who want the vaccine up front.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, has predicted that between 75% and 85% of the population will need to be vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity” and end the outbreak in the US.
That’s one of the reasons the White House and states have moved on to step up senior assistance programs and public education campaigns.
Markwood attributed the government’s $ 1.9 trillion bailout for providing the funding needed “to go out and do that more intensive, sometimes one-on-one outreach” with seniors, saying: “It’s that last mile, the last group that needs the extra support. It’s going to take that extra reach and time.”
More help is on the way.
Early next week, the administration is launching a $ 100 million effort to fund community organizations that provide “intensive” support to high-risk seniors and people with disabilities through the Department of Health and Human Services. That includes help with booking appointments, travel to vaccination sites, and other support during the vaccination process.
Similar programs are already underway at the state level.
In Clarksdale, Mississippi, the state hosted its first-ever mobile vaccinations for homebound older adults on Wednesday. That’s where a bus picked up Busby outside a senior day care center and community center next to a low-income housing complex for the elderly.
While Busby declined, a staff member encouraged her to join the group waiting to get on board. She said a major motivating factor for her to get the shot was the support of her brother, who called to encourage her to get vaccinated.
“I’ll call him as soon as I get home and let him know I’ve done it,” she said, getting back on the bus to return to the community center.
Older people are actually less hesitant than many. According to an AP-NORC poll in late March, 11% of Americans 65 or older say they are likely or certainly not going to be vaccinated. That is comparable to 25% of all adults.
The White House has repeatedly designated family members and community leaders as the best validators to overcome hesitations. It is also in the process of creating more vaccination sites closer to homes, recognizing that access problems extend to demographic groups. On Wednesday, the White House announced that all more than 1,400 federally qualified community health centers will be able to begin administering vaccines. It also aims to expand mobile vaccine clinics.
A disproportionate number of unvaccinated seniors come from black or Latino communities, or those without easy access to health care, said Kathleen Cameron, senior director of the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging, reflecting the inequalities in the wider population. And about 6% of seniors are housebound.
“Those are the people who are the hardest to reach, and those are the ones we have to work the hardest for, either getting them to vaccination centers or getting them the vaccines,” she said.
Aurelia Jones-Taylor, CEO of Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center, Inc. in Clarksdale, said family members are one of the main tools – but sometimes barriers – to getting older adults vaccinated. Some encourage their relatives, help them with rides to clinics, and make sure they get their photos.
But in many cases, younger family members are misinformed about the vaccine and discourage older family members from getting itAside from that, older adults can be more difficult to reach because they are not handy on social media and live alone.
“They’re trapped in the house, and they’re scared,” said Jones-Taylor. “We have to overcome the fear.”
According to the CDC, depending on their age, seniors are between 1,300 and 8,700 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than 5-17 year olds, and they make up more than 80% of the 559,000 U.S. fatalities from the virus.
An important help in Mississippi – especially among older adults – is the encouragement of pastors and congregations, Jones-Taylor said.
“It’s of the utmost importance,” she said. “That’s who they listen to.”
Julia Ford, 71, spends most days at the Rev. SLA Jones Activity Center. She said her faith was a major motivational factor for her to get the vaccine.
‘I wasn’t sure what to do -‘ Will I have it or not? “I spoke to the Lord to help me understand,” said Ford, whose brother died of the virus. I thought of the verse, “Everything that was made was made by him.” Nothing was made that was not made by him. He made the virus and he made the antidote. ”
Miller reported from Washington.