If the Elderly Are Vaccinated, Can We Hug Them Again?

We’ve been at this for over a year now, and many of us have begun to feel defeated. We miss our loved ones and we miss the human connection of being around friends and family. But the vaccine is here and many of us are wondering if this means we can soon get back to hugging the vulnerable elderly in our lives. There have been a lot of questions surrounding the changes we can expect with vaccine rollouts, but one of the most pressing has been: When will we be able to hug our loved ones again?

What Does the Science Say?

Clinical trial results have shown both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines can significantly reduce a person’s risks of catching COVID-19. According to the CDC, Pfizer-BioNTech’s version is 95% effective in normal, healthy individuals and 92% among people with underlying medical conditions. Moderna’s vaccine is slightly less effective, covering 94.1% of healthy people vaccinated and 86% of people in higher-risk groups.

The goal of the current vaccination effort is to achieve enough herd immunity against the virus to reduce and hopefully even eliminate infections. We might be working toward that goal, but it could still be a while before we’re able to give and receive that long-awaited hug. Here's why.

The Limitations of Immunity

Even if both parties have been fully vaccinated, a protection level of 95% isn’t the same as 100% immunity. When we’re dealing with the general population, that 5% risk might not feel quite as serious, but it could be like playing Russian roulette with the lives of some people, even if they’re 93% protected themselves.

Healthy people can also fall gravely ill with this virus, though the chances of complications are far higher in older adults. In fact, the risk of having a severe form of COVID-19 increases with every decade after we’ve reached our 40s. People 85 and older are at the highest risk of requiring hospitalization and intensive care.

The good news is we could finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. According to a Harvard news report, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, Anthony Fauci, feels only 75%-80% of the population needs to get vaccinated for herd immunity to take hold. If we can distribute enough vaccine doses by the end of spring this year, we could possibly get those long-awaited hugs again this holiday season.

The wait might not be over yet, but we’re getting closer. We’re all feeling the weight of this isolation, and many of us can feel the toll it's taking on our vulnerable loved ones who may already have been struggling with isolation, but we need to hold on a little longer — just until we can feel sure that we’re not taking unnecessary chances with their lives. In the meantime, taking extra steps to help keep the elderly connected can go a long way toward their wellbeing.

Copyright 2021, Wellness.com