Vulnerable Groups Doing Better

A new analysis of COVID-19 figures show the number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations are dropping for some of the most vulnerable Americans.

Mandy Gaither breaks down the data, in today's health minute.

CASES, DEATHS ANDHOSPITALIZATIONS ARE DROPPINGFOR SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLEAMERICANS.MANDY GAITHER BREAKS DOWN THEDATA -- IN TODAY'S HEALTHMINUTEWHEN IT COMES TO COVID-19 --THEY'RE SOME OF THE MOST AT-RISKAMERICANS --BUT, A NEW CNN ANALYSIS OF C-D-CDATA SHOWS THOSE 65 ANDOLDER --ARE NOW SEEING THE LARGESTDECLINE IN COVID-19 CASERATES, HOSPITALIZATIONS ANDDEATH RATES OUT OF ANYOTHER AGE GROUP.THE DATA COMES AS THE U-S PASSESA MILESTONE THISWEEK --"70% OF AMERICANS AGE 65 ANDOLDER HAVE NOWRECEIVED AT LEAST ONE SHOT."THE LATEST C-D-C NUMBERS SHOWWEEKLY HOSPITALIZATIONSAMONG THAT DEMOGRAPHIC DROPPED83-PERCENT OVERNINE WEEKS BETWEEN EARLY JANUARYAND MID-MARCHAND DEATH RATES WERE ABOUT 96-PERCENT LOWER --"WE INTEND TO KEEP UP THISPROGRESS UNTIL ALL AMERICANSARE VACCINATED."WHILE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEWDAILY COVID-19 CASESCLIMBED SLIGHTLY ACROSS THE U-S--TWO NEW PAPERS PUBLISHED IN THENEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OFMEDICINE ARE ADDING TO A GROWINGBODY OF RESEARCHSHOWING COVID-19 VACCINES AREEXTREMELY EFFECTIVE INPREVENTING INFECTION IN THECOMMUNITY."EVERY DAY, 2.5 TO 3 MILLIONPEOPLE GET VACCINATED.

SO, EVERYDAY WEGET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THATEXTRAORDINARY DEGREE OFEFFECTIVENESS, WHICH WE'RESEEING AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL -AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THATIS WHAT IT IS THAT IS GOING TOENDTHIS PANDEMIC IN THIS COUNTRY."NOW -- THE NEXT PHASE OF GETTINGSHOTS IN THE ARMS OFMORE AMERICANS --AT LEAST FIVE STATES HAVEEXPANDED CORONAVIRUSVACCINE ELIGIBILITY TO ANYONE 16AND OLDER --AND AT LEAST 20 MORE PLAN TO DOTHE SAME BY THE END OF APRIL.FOR HEALTH MINUTE, I'M MANDYGAITHER.YESTERDAY-- WE LEARNED T