CNN reports that seniors in nursing and assisted living communities will be among the first Americans to receive COVID-19 vaccines once they become available, following recommendations by a federal advisory panel. Older adults living at home will face a longer wait. Pfizer's vaccine will be assessed by a 15-member U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on Dec. 10, while Moderna's vaccine is expected to face evaluation on Dec. 17. FDA staff will publicize their analytical findings at least two days before each meeting. Summary results disclosed in news releases so far indicate that Pfizer's vaccine has an overall efficacy rate of 95 percent and efficacy of 94 percent in those 65 and older. Moncef Slaoui, chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said the Moderna's vaccine's overall efficacy is 94 percent, with 87 percent efficacy in preventing moderate disease in older adults. If the FDA panel approves, the administration will decide within days or weeks whether to authorize the vaccines for emergency use.

Fox 19 Now reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed the advent of senior-friendly technology for helping families stay in touch, with video chats especially popular. "You just hit a button and this 'Jetsons' like kind of device rings and it's bigger than a phone," says Fox 19 Now tech expert Dave Hatter. "It's probably easier for them senior citizens to work than a phone because the user interface is simplified. It's not trying to focus on all the things that a phone might do, or a computer might do." Firms offering such products include GrandPad or ViewClix, and the GrandPad is a tablet engineered specifically for seniors. ViewClix, meanwhile, is a smart frame that lets users create slideshows to display family photos, with no Amazon, Facebook, or Google account required. Despite the advantages of such products, Hatter advises buyers practice caution, and look for a well-established company that will continue to support the product even after the pandemic.

The University of Michigan (U of M) National Poll on Healthy Aging reports that older adults are less likely to get vaccinated for COVID-19 than for the flu, according to HealthDay News . The researchers polled 1,556 randomly selected older adults 50 to 80 years old, and 63 percent indicated they received a flu shot during the last flu season, with 70 percent already having received one since August 2020 or planning to get one this flu season. Meanwhile, 58 percent of older adults said they would be likely to get a potential free COVID-19 vaccine, while 28 percent said they were unlikely to do so. COVID-19 vaccine preferences did not diverge, even if respondents knew someone who had COVID-19 or who died from it. COVID-19 vaccine interest was greater among 65- to 80-year-olds versus 50- to 64-year-olds, among men versus women, and among whites versus Hispanics and blacks. "Our findings point to a strong need to communicate effectively and transparently about how well the vaccines work, the safeguards built in to protect the safety of recipients, and the public health importance of widespread vaccination starting with priority groups," said U of M's Preeti Malani.

A research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine found the number of older Americans who reported owning and using hearing aids grew from 2011 to 2018, reports HealthDay News . The investigators analyzed data from the 2011, 2015, and 2018 cycles of the National Health Aging and Trends Study. They noted an increase in the overall proportion of participants 70 and older who owned and used hearing aids, from 15 percent to 16.9 percent and 18.5 percent in 2011, 2015, and 2018, respectively. The segment of older adults who owned hearing aids rose as they got older. Over time, fewer African Americans owned and used hearing aids than whites, and witnessed a smaller overall increase in the proportion owning and using hearing aids during the study period. Across subgroups, the smallest expansion in hearing aid use was among African American women, with growth of 5.8 percent versus 28.7 percent among white men. An overall decline in the proportion of hearing aid ownership and use was seen by older adults living at less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. "These data corroborate and build on previous cross-sectional findings of disparities in hearing care by offering a longitudinal analysis in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States," the authors concluded.

WebMD reports that researchers are exploring the possibility of certain vaccines reducing people's risk for Alzheimer's disease, after learning that flu and pneumonia vaccines also might shield against related memory loss. Duke University Social Science Research Institute Professor Svetlana Ukraintseva looked into a possible connection between the pneumonia vaccine and Alzheimer's in a study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Her team determined that receiving the vaccine between ages 65 and 75 lowered the risk of Alzheimer's disease by up to 30 percent, which increased to 40 percent in people who did not carry a specific Alzheimer's genetic risk factor. They are now investigating the effects of vaccines on Alzheimer's disease on a larger cohort, with plans to consider whether other vaccines might enhance immunity and protect against Alzheimer's. "So we can compare not only how several different vaccines affect Alzheimer's disease, but also several different infectious diseases," Ukraintseva explains. Another study determined that people who received one or more flu vaccines were 17 percent less likely to get Alzheimer's disease, while those who got their shot more often saw an additional 13 percent reduction in risk. Albert Amran at the University of Texas Health Science Center suggests simply preventing the viral infection itself may ward off neurological complications.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be accelerating retirements, with about 3.2 million more baby boomers saying they were out of work due to retirement in the third quarter than in the same period a year earlier, according to Pew Research. From 2011 through 2019, the number of retired baby boomers increased at a rate of about 2 million annually. Labor-force participation among workers 55 and up logged in at 38.7 percent in October, down from 40.3 percent in February. Unlike previous recessions, the current distress is making it especially difficult for parents, women in particular, to find employment because of school closures and the loss of child care. "If we don't get all the workers back, we can never have a V-shaped recovery," warned University of Michigan Professor Betsey Stevenson. "Everybody should be worried about making sure that we don't leave workers behind."

The Washington Post reports that Operation Warp Speed chief science adviser Moncef Slaoui has forecast a "significant decrease" in deaths among U.S. seniors from the coronavirus by the end of January, as high-risk populations receive vaccinations. He said he expects independent advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recommend emergency authorization for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech when the panel meets on Thursday, and to issue the authorization shortly afterward. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that if the FDA panel recommends authorization of the Pfizer vaccine later this week, people could start getting shots "within days." But even with FDA authorization, it will be months before vaccinations have any effect on the pandemic. Last week a federal advisory panel recommended that the first vaccine doses be administered to an estimated 21 million healthcare workers and 3 million residents and staff in long-term care communities. On CBS News's "Face the Nation," Slaoui suggested vaccinations may start to have an effect on infection counts for "the most susceptible people" in January and February. Meanwhile, Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, recommended that people not become complacent from news of a coming vaccine. "If you have loved ones that you want to protect, you have to follow safety guidelines now," she said.

Inquirer.net reports that two new studies by Michigan State University (MSU) investigators highlight how ageism that harms seniors appears to be widespread in more individualistic nations. The first study , published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , considered the concentration of prejudices in each country, showing that participants from more collectivistic cultures like Japan, China, India, and Brazil were less inclined to be biased against old age. Individualistic nations like the United States, Germany, Ireland, and Australia had more pronounced prejudice against seniors, and were more focused on maintaining a youthful and active appearance. The second study , published in the European Journal of Social Psychology , assessed certain U.S. states and gauged the impact of ageism on the health of older adults. Prejudices were strongest in southern and northeastern states, which posted lower life expectancies. Meanwhile, Medicare costs were higher in states that were more biased against older adults, community engagement was lower, and access to care was more constrained. "Both of our studies demonstrate how local environments affect people's attitudes and the lives of older adults," said MSU Professor William Chopik. "Being exposed to policies and attitudes at a country level can shape how you interact with older adults."

The Associated Press reports that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and oversee the government's coronavirus response. Biden also picked Rochelle Walensky, a Harvard University infectious disease expert, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Becerra, if confirmed by the Senate, will be the first Latino to head HHS, and as California's AG has spearheaded the coalition of Democratic states defending the Affordable Care Act from the Trump administration's latest attempt to rescind it. With the United States expected to be engaged in a mass COVID-19 vaccination push next year, it is impossible to determine yet how things will go when it is time to get inoculations. Meanwhile, businessman Jeff Zients was appointed Biden's White House coronavirus coordinator and former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will return to that post, with a wider range of responsibilities. Moreover, Biden said Anthony Fauci will be his chief medical adviser, and keep his position as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' director. Rounding out Biden's team will be Natalie Quillian as co-director of the coronavirus response and Yale public health specialist Marcella Nunez-Smith as lead of a new task force to reduce health disparities in COVID-19.

Miami Jewish Health geriatric psychiatrist Marc Agronin writes in the Wall Street Journal that Zoom chats are proving very helpful for easing older adults' loneliness and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. He offers suggestions for maximizing Zoom calls' value for this group, while acknowledging shortcomings like the platform's small sensory field, poor Internet connections, and the inability to capture subtleties and fine details of facial expressions and gestures. "If you typically use a small smartphone or tablet, consider some relatively inexpensive options to improve the experience," Agronin recommends. "For example, there are tablet-sized portable viewing screens that can sit in front of your smartphone and create a much larger picture. There are adaptors that can project a smartphone- or tablet-sized screen onto a larger computer screen or TV monitor. There are Bluetooth external speakers that can significantly amplify the sound." Agronin also suggests that people schedule Zoom calls and prepare as if they were in-person meetings, and attempt to make meetings fun and creative. "For example, if you are Zooming with extended family members, especially children or teenagers, have interesting or colorful stories, jokes, or family history to share," he notes.