COVID-19 and the elderly: spatio-temporal associations between mortality and vaccination in the province of Buenos Aires-Argentina

Abstract

Objectives. To analyze the spatio-temporal variations between mortality due to COVID-19 in older adults and vaccination against COVID-19 in this age group. Materials and methods. On the one hand, data referring to the day, month, year and party of residence of people who died from COVID-19 were used and, on the other, people aged 70+ years immunized with first doses of vaccines against COVID-19 in the province of Buenos Aires, from December 29, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The space units were the 134 parties that make up the province. Spatio-temporal scan statistics were used to detect clusters of high and low mortality and vaccination. Results. Spatial-temporal association was found between vaccination with the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine in the population older than 70 years, between mid-March and early April 2021, and the decrease in mortality in this same age group, between late April and the end of June 2021, in parties of Greater Buenos Aires. Conclusions. From a space-time perspective, we show some indications of the positive impact of the application of the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine in areas of Greater Buenos Aires and in a context marked by a new wave of cases and deaths.