Beware of this misleading “warning signal” on vaccination in nursing homes

0



Vaccination in nursing homes (illustration). – Bony / SIPA

  • “” WARNING SIGN ON PROTECTION CONFERRED by vaccination “in the very old person in EHPAD. Clusters have occurred in around thirty establishments out of around 7,000 in France, ”warns on Twitter the former Inserm researcher Alexandra Henrion-Caude.
  • In doing so, she cites a note from the Vaccine Strategy Orientation Council (COSV) of May 7, relating cases of clusters in some nursing homes, despite vaccination.
  • Even if it means mistakenly suggesting that vaccines would be ineffective in the elderly – while their effectiveness against contamination is not 100%, but very important in terms of protection against serious forms of Covid-19.

Does the anti-Covid-19 vaccination in nursing homes really make sense? This is, in essence, the question raised by Alexandra Henrion-Caude, a former Inserm researcher, in a tweet of June 6, 2021.

“” ALERT SIGNAL ON PROTECTION CONFERRED by vaccination “in the very old person in EHPAD. Clusters have occurred in around thirty establishments out of around 7000 in France, ”she said, sharing an excerpt froma note of May 7, 2021 written by the Vaccine Strategy Orientation Council (COSV).

This document on “vaccine effectiveness and vaccination coverage of the elderly”, in the paragraphs highlighted by Alexandra Henrion-Caude, mentions cases of Covid-19 contamination in nursing homes.

“The vaccination coverage in nursing homes is very high, […] however, for several weeks, Covid-19 clusters have been observed in nursing homes where the population has been vaccinated. […] A study carried out in Montpellier shows that the vaccination of people in nursing homes reduces the severity of Covid-19 cases but does not prevent infection and the occurrence of clusters. A Danish study in real life has moreover demonstrated a vaccine efficacy of 64% only in nursing homes ”, we can read there.

The document finally cites another study, carried out on 27 clusters between March and April 2021, showing that “the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine in nursing home residents would be 35% for the prevention of infection, 59% for the prevention severe forms, and 75% for the prevention of death. “

FAKE OFF

If this note is authentic, like the studies cited, Alexandra Henrion-Caude is careful not to quote the paragraphs following this passage, which explain why the elderly are more at risk of being infected despite vaccination.

“This warning signal does not call for immediate intervention but raises the question of administering a third dose of vaccine to elderly people residing in EHPAD, who are” immuno-senescent ” […] The amount of neutralizing antibodies produced after vaccination decreases with age. It is not guaranteed that the administration of a third dose will confer a protective immunity equivalent to that obtained in immunocompetent subjects ”, they thus detail.

An 87% reduction in the risk of severe forms in the elderly

In addition, although vaccination protects against serious forms of disease and death, it does not guarantee total protection against contamination, as Public Health France reminded us at the beginning of May. to AFP Factuel : “Since vaccines are not 100% effective, it is expected that there will be cases in people who have been vaccinated. “

The first data from the French vaccination campaign among the elderly, made public at the end of May, however, report the high effectiveness of vaccines against severe forms of Covid-19 in this specific population, with “an estimated risk reduction of 87% […] among the first people vaccinated, aged 75 and over. “

Joined by 20 minutes, the COSV stresses that the rates of 59% prevention against severe forms and 75% for the prevention of death mentioned in its note of May 7 “are not data for the general population”. “Numerous real-life data in the general population have been published and have better results (100% prevention of death and up to 90% prevention of infection,” adds the COSV.





Source link