COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in the United States for 1 year, and despite being free and widely available, only 60.8% of Americans are fully vaccinated against the virus, while 72% have at received at least one dose of vaccine, and 26.6% have received a booster dose.
Booster doses of vaccine may be necessary to stave off a wave of infections caused by the Omicron (B.1.1.29) variant, which is spreading across the country in the days before the holidays.
1 in 100 older adults have died
According to an Axios analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, millions of US seniors have yet to get a booster shot. Less than half of eligible adults 65 and older (44%) had received a booster shot as of shortly before Thanksgiving. And only about half of all nursing home residents had received a booster by Dec 5.
White Americans 65 and older were most like to get a booster (47%), compared with Black Americans (38%), and Hispanics (34%).
Older people are at the greatest risk of serve illness from COVID-19. According to a New York Times analysis, 1 in 100 older Americans has died from the virus, and that age-group makes up 75% of all US COVID-19 deaths.
Americans under 65 make up 1 in 1,400 deaths. The sobering numbers come as the nation approaches 800,000 deaths from COVID-19.
The US reported 36,818 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 167 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. In total, the nation has confirmed 50,029,005 cases of the virus and 797,981 deaths.
Omicron now in 30 states
The Omicron variant has now been identified in at least 30 states, according to a Washington Post tally.
The new variant has emerged as a number of states are struggling with rising new case counts. Leaders from Minnesota health systems took out a full-page ad in Sunday newspapers to plead with people to take COVID precautions because of overwhelmed health workers and systems.
"We're heartbroken. We're overwhelmed," the ad read. As of Dec 9, Minnesota has 1,678 people hospitalized for the virus, including 338 in intensive care.
In New York, a new temporary indoor mask mandate goes into effect today, CNN reports. The mandate will last until at least Jan 15.
