Because the loss of life toll from Covid-19 surges in Hong Kong, some scientists mentioned that, within the period of Omicron, vaccinating as many older folks as doable must be a prime precedence.
Hong Kong, which was as soon as one of many world’s most formidable redoubts of “zero Covid,” has provided scientists a case examine concerning the menace Omicron poses in a completely completely different setting: a dense metropolis the place folks weren’t solely largely untouched by earlier infections, but in addition the place the oldest and most susceptible residents have been largely unvaccinated.
A number of vital classes emerged, well being consultants mentioned.
With two Omicron subvariants circulating, together with the extremely contagious BA.2 subvariant, vaccinating a broad swath of the inhabitants remained necessary, scientists mentioned. However inoculating as many older folks as doable had turn into far and away essentially the most vital factor to do.
That message, they mentioned, was most urgent for China, the place vaccinations in older age teams additionally seem like lagging and there’s little immunity from earlier infections.
However it was related once more in america, too, the place subpar vaccination and booster charges amongst older folks have left scientists involved a couple of potential surge of BA.2 circumstances. Partly as a result of so many extra People have been contaminated and killed by the coronavirus throughout earlier waves, scientists don’t anticipate america to face as severe a scenario within the coming months as Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, which together with mainland China had been among the many final holdouts of a method of tight restrictions and border controls to eradicate the virus, was left susceptible by how few of its residents had any immunity from prior infections: Earlier than the Omicron surge, scientists estimated that just one % of Hong Kong’s inhabitants had contracted the virus.
Lower than one-quarter of individuals aged 80 and over in Hong Kong had been given two doses of a vaccine earlier than Omicron surged, in contrast with greater than 90 % of individuals in Singapore and New Zealand.
Town has now vaccinated 39 % of residents aged 80 and above, regardless of having inoculated nearly two-thirds of 12- to 19-year-olds.