A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that COVID-19 vaccinations may have helped prevent hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 infections and tens of thousands of deaths among seniors. The study shows that COVID-19 vaccinations were linked to a reduction of approximately 265,000 COVID-19 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations, and 39,000 deaths among Medicare beneficiaries between January and May 2021.
The report reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations in saving lives and controlling the pandemic. People 65 years and older are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill or death from COVID-19, which is why it’s so important to be vaccinated.
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and if you have not yet been vaccinated remember it is free and you can find a place near you by visiting vaccines.gov
To read more about the report here.
CMS recognizes that more than 57 million Americans live in rural areas, and face several unique challenges. And those challenges can differ dramatically among the different kinds of rural areas across the country. Rural residents tend to be older and in poorer health than their urban counterparts, and rural communities often face challenges with access to care, financial viability, and the important link between health care and economic development.