New York Times:
Other countries and territories have found the elderly are the most vulnerable, and the only reliable way to protect them is through vaccination. What percentage of people in China who are 80 or older have had one vaccine, or have had two vaccines, or have had three vaccines for the coronavirus? And what are you doing to encourage these elderly people to be vaccinated fully if they have not already received two or three vaccines? Thank you.
Zeng Yixin:
It's a problem of great importance. The Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council has always attached great significance to promoting vaccination among the elderly population in China by repeatedly making arrangements and plans. Additionally, the local departments have actively taken multiple measures to boost the vaccination rate among the elderly. You only mentioned people older than 80; I will introduce the general vaccination situation of people who are 60 or older. As of March 17, for people aged 60 to 69, the first dose rate, the full vaccination rate, and the booster vaccination rate hit 88.8%, 86.6%, and 56.4%, respectively. Among people aged 70 to 79, the numbers are 86.1%, 81.7%, and 48.4%, respectively. As for the group who are 80 or older, which you are mostly concerned, those three figures are 58.8%, 50.7%, and 19.7%, respectively. Generally speaking, of the 264 million people aged 60 or older, 211.76 million have been fully vaccinated, which means there are still 52 million people who have not received full vaccination. Among those, those aged 80 or older account for the largest proportion as their full vaccination rate and booster vaccination rate are a mere 50.7% and 19.7%, respectively. Both are relatively low percentages. As for the elderly, full vaccination and booster vaccination are of great importance, especially for people aged 80 or older. Therefore, we will step up efforts to vigorously promote vaccination among the elderly.
The immune system of the seniors is weaker than that of the young, and most of them have various underlying medical conditions. Once infected with the coronavirus, the risk of severe illness and death is much higher than that of the young. As we all know, there have been many clusters in China since last year, but very few of the infected became seriously ill. In particular, in the cases caused by the Omicron variant, the proportion of severe cases is even fewer. However, in the Yangzhou cluster outbreak that was caused by the Delta variant in August last year, the elderly cases accounted for a high proportion and thus more severe cases were found. There was a total of 1,388 cases in Yangzhou, of which 67 severe cases were among the elderly over 60 years old. Because there are many elderly people, the incidence of severe cases is also relatively high. Among the 1,388 cases, the proportion of people who had a complete course of vaccines was 38%. Among the 67 severe cases, 65 cases were not vaccinated or did not complete the full course of vaccination. In the recent Hong Kong outbreak, it is reported that the mortality rate of vaccinated people is 0.04%, and the mortality rate of those who have not been vaccinated or not fully vaccinated is 1.25%, which is a dramatic difference of dozens of times. Also, in the Hong Kong outbreak, 90% of those who died were elderly people.
From these two examples, two conclusions can be drawn. The first is that vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness and death. In Yangzhou, the vaccines used were mainly produced on the mainland. In Hong Kong, mRNA vaccines and inactivated vaccines were mainly used, accounting for about 60% and 40%, respectively. The second is that, the elderly and people with underlying diseases are the most in need of protection and vaccination. I think two conclusions can be drawn from these two examples.
Therefore, in order to further increase vaccination rate among the elderly, the next step is to scale up publicity and mobilization in two aspects. For one thing, we should raise their awareness. We must not only emphasize the principle of vaccination on a voluntary basis, but also emphasize the sense of responsibility. We often say that one should hold the primary responsibility for his or her own health. In the context of the pandemic, vaccination is not only to protect oneself, but also to protect the family, and to contribute to society. For another, we must also actively respond to the concerns of the elderly. Why do the elderly have so many concerns and worries? Why do they lack the motivation to receive vaccinations? It is necessary to figure out the causes and respond to their concerns and questions. For example, how about the safety of vaccines, which is something the elderly are concerned about. What are the side effects, and how is vaccine efficacy? How about the protective effect on the elderly? Will vaccination aggravate underlying diseases? Given that many elderly people have underlying diseases, will they get worse after being vaccinated? There are also elderly people who think that they don't leave their homes frequently and so wonder if it's necessary to get vaccinated? Only when we bring clarity to their unease can we encourage them to get vaccinated. Therefore, relevant units and experts must attach great importance to informing the public about data and relevant information. The media should spread relevant information widely in a way that the elderly like to see. In these ways, the whole of society works together to form a favorable environment that is conducive to increasing the vaccination rate among the elderly.
Second, we should give full play to the role of local relevant departments. Grid management systems can be employed to enable the elderly to get vaccinated. Relevant departments can also actively mobilize key groups such as the elderly and key places such as nursing homes so as to increase the vaccination rate among the elderly.
Third, we should ensure the safety of the elderly getting vaccinated. The vaccination unit should arrange for medical staff who are familiar with the physical condition and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the elderly to stand by to provide health care. Before an elderly person gets vaccinated, the medical staff should carry out health assessments on them. After the vaccination, the healthcare professionals should carry out surveillance of the vaccine recipients for signs of adverse events and be particularly prepared for an emergency. Because the elderly may have underlying health conditions, we must ensure prompt and proper medical treatment in case of emergencies.
Fourth, more convenient measures should be taken to facilitate vaccination among the elderly. Mobile vaccination vehicles and other equipment can be used to set up temporary vaccination sites to shorten their round-trip route. Housecalls can also be made for those having difficulty getting about, and more green channels can be set up to shorten the waiting time for old people. We should also make flexible arrangements at vaccination spots according to their demands. By implementing such measures, we believe that the vaccination rate among the elderly is sure to rise soon. Thank you!
