No age restrictions

The effectiveness of vaccinations for the elderly has been proven

Vladislav Strekopytov, © RIA Novosti

The elderly are particularly vulnerable to infections, which is why in many countries the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 began with them. On the other hand, the immune system weakens with age. About how they approach vaccination in different countries and what is known about the effectiveness of vaccinations for older people – in the RIA Novosti material.

The focus is on the elderly

All major manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines note that their products are effective and safe for any age.

At the same time, they refer to clinical studies – general, when participants were divided into age groups, or special, conducted among the elderly.

One of these BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, performed in the UK, showed that Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines work well on people over 70 years of age. It is noted that the maximum effect – 61 and 73 percent, respectively – was achieved on the 28th day after the first injection. This is less than in general groups, but it is quite acceptable.

The older the patients, the lower the risk of an overreaction of the immune system to vaccination and, accordingly, side effects. And BioNTech and Moderna, at least, have about the same number of antibodies for mRNA vaccines, which include Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, as in young ones. This is reported by the authors of a review published in the Oxford University journal Age and Aging.

AstraZeneca and Janssen, the pharmaceutical branch of the company, have also demonstrated the safety and good tolerability of the elderly by vaccines created on the basis of modified adenovirus – Oxford/AstraZeneca and Janssen Johnson & Johnson. The same type of drugs include the Russian Sputnik V and the Chinese CanSino.

In the first phases of clinical trials, the side effects of the Janssen vaccine in the 65+ category of patients were even less than in young patients – 36 and 64 percent, respectively. At the same time, nothing specific was revealed specifically for the older age group, which was not noted, for example, among 50-year-olds.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine trials involved 200 people aged 70 years and older. 28 days after vaccination, they developed stable antibodies – without complications and even mild weakness, which younger people often complained about.

The Chinese company Sinovac has organized a specialized clinical trial for patients over 60 years old. The final results will be published in the summer, but they have already reported on the safety of the vaccine and a good immune response.

It should be noted that the elderly with weakened health, diseases of the immune system or other chronic ailments are usually not involved in research. An exception was made for the Janssen vaccine. The effectiveness against the moderate-severe form of COVID-19 was 60 percent for healthy people, 42 percent for people with concomitant diseases. And one hundred percent guarantee against death in both groups.

Nevertheless, the issue of vaccination of weakened patients should be decided individually after consultation with doctors.

Two vaccination strategies

After the leading vaccine manufacturers completed phase three clinical trials and proved the effectiveness of their products for all age groups, a mass vaccination campaign was launched. But it's different for everyone.

American scientists compared five possible vaccination strategies and identified two priority ones.

Where the pandemic is avalanche-like and it is urgently necessary to stop the increase in morbidity, it is better to start with vaccinating young people from 20 to 49 years old, because they are usually the main distributors of infection. But if the situation has been brought under control, it is necessary to reduce the mortality from COVID-19 and deal primarily with the 60+ category.

On the first way we went China, where some provinces still do not vaccinate the elderly, and India. People over 60 were not vaccinated there until March 1.

In Western countries, on the contrary, the elderly are a priority. For example, in the UK, the population was divided into nine groups depending on age, health status and professions. The first doctors took up the category of 80+, guests and employees of nursing homes. The second group is doctors and people over 70. The National Health Service of Great Britain reports that those who are over 50 can now be vaccinated. In total, more than 20 million people have been vaccinated in the country and almost everyone over 60 has been vaccinated.

The same applies in the United States, where, according to Bloomberg, 29 percent of the population has been vaccinated. One of the main goals of the US Department of Health and Human Services is to vaccinate the 65+ age group by 70 percent.

From 60+, as well as those who are at risk due to concomitant diseases, they started in Israel. Then - 50+ and from 16 to 18 years. Now – everyone. Israel is the leader in vaccination – 56.6 percent of the population and more than 80 – among 60+.

The situation is worse in Europe. In Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, no more than 11 percent of the population was vaccinated. But even there they started with the oldest.

Ministry of Health Russia approved the domestic drug Sputnik V for people over 60 years old on December 26, that is, almost immediately after the start of mass vaccination. Before that, only those who have a risk of infection associated with the profession were vaccinated – doctors, teachers, social workers.

Now we have no age restrictions on vaccinations. All Russian vaccines have demonstrated efficacy and safety for the elderly.