Study: Frail older adults at risk of COVID-19 despite getting jab

Frail older adults, those with underlying conditions like obesity and those living in deprived conditions or densely populated areas are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 infection even after being vaccinated against the disease.

This is according to a study published by Lancet Journal that highlights the crucial role vaccines play in larger efforts to prevent COVID-19 infections.

Vaccination has been the go to resort for countries around the globe in the fight against COVID-19, a pandemic that has so far claimed the lives of 4.5 million people globally since 2020.

The results of a peer reviewed study published in the Lancet Medical Journal indicate that vaccines are doing what they were designed to do; save lives and prevent serious illness….

According to the study less than 0.5% of those vaccinated with the first dose experienced a breakthrough infection within 2 weeks or more of getting the jab that is only 6,030 positive cases out of 1,240,009 persons.

That also similar among adults who received two vaccine doses as less than 0.2 % experienced a breakthrough infection, that is 2,370 positive cases out of 971,504 persons.

The researchers also found that COVID-19 was less severe in participants after their first or second vaccine doses compared with unvaccinated participants, in short, a majority of those infected post-vaccination were asymptomatic and thus hospitalisation or developing long-covid illness was less likely.

A scenario that one hospital in Nakuru county clearly describes when they analyse the 103 COVID-19 admissions they have made since the vaccination exercise began in the counties.

dr angeline ithondeka –

“Medical superintendent, Naivasha sub-county hospital (only two people have been admitted who had got the first dose, and it was within a week of their jab, the majority or the rest none of them had got their vaccine)

The research shows that the risk of breakthrough infection is higher in frail older adults, those with underlying conditions especially; obesity, lung & kidney disease and persons living in highly deprived areas even after receiving the first vaccine dose and before receiving a second dose.

The data was recorded between December 2020 and July 2021, tracking more than 1.2 million adults who received one coronavirus jab and 971,504 who received two jabs in that time frame.

With the researchers banking their hpe on vaccination against COVID-19 here in Kenya, the ministry of health is also speaking the same language.

“We are seeing positive trajectory in terms of numbers and therefore if we continue vaccinating more and people still follow then the numbers will continue declining,” Dr. Patrick Amoth – Acting Director of Health said on Satuday.

With the arrival of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines, to boost the already existing doses of moderna and Astrazeneca, Kenya hopes to achieve its target of 10 million people vaccinated as a means to achieve herd immunity.