Unvaccinated seniors almost 50 times more likely to be hospitalized, other developments

Unvaccinated seniors almost 50 times more likely to be hospitalized, CDC data shows: COVID-19 updates Unvaccinated adults 65 and older who have COVID are 49 times more likely to be hospitalized than their boosted counterparts. Latest updates. Cady Stanton, Celina Tebor and Christine Fernando USA TODAY

Unvaccinated adults age 65 and older who are infected with COVID-19 are 49 times more likely to be hospitalized than those in the same age group who are vaccinated and have gotten their booster shots, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data, drawn from hospitalization rates between October and December 2021, also found:

• Unvaccinated adults age 65 and older is 17 times more likely to be hospitalized compared to those who are fully vaccinated but not boosted. 
• For unvaccinated adults between ages 50 and 64, the likelihood of hospitalization is 44 times higher compared to boosted adults of the same age group.

The data emphasizes recent research and assertions by public health officials that boosters significantly prevent severe illness and hospitalization.

Meanwhile, a group of international regulators published a report Friday saying it was becoming "increasingly clear that a booster dose is needed to extend vaccine protection," especially as the omicron variant rapidly spreads. ...

In other developments:

►Federal data released Thursday show the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds is up just 0.84% from a week earlier, while the number of patients admitted in the latest week is down some 1.62% from a week earlier. That still leaves 160,714 patients in American hospital beds.

►Vaccination has "no adverse associations" with fertility in women, according to a study published Thursday in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers studied more than 2,000 women between ages 21 and 45. ...

.►A passenger's refusal to wear a face mask on board, which is required by federal law, forced an American Airlines flight bound for London to return to Miami this week. Police have not arrested the woman, and the department spokesperson said American Airlines will handle the incident administratively.

► The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ordered nursing homes provide COVID-19 vaccines to residents on-site.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 69 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 860,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 340 million cases and over 5.57 million deaths. More than 209 million Americans – 63% – are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ...