Columbus Dispatch: Colin Powell Was Vaccinated Against COVID but Still Died of Complications. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Colin Powell Former Secretary of State

The recent death of retired United States Army General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, caused by complications from COVID-19, prompted the Columbus Dispatch to write an article that examined how a fully vaccinated individual still succumbed to the virus. 

Joe Gastaldo, MD, system medical director of infectious diseases at OhioHealth, spoke with Dispatch reporter Max Filby for this piece and explained how Powell’s advanced age, his battle with cancer and Parkinson’s Disease all played a role in his passing.

He also shared with the Dispatch why it is especially important for older Ohioans to get a COVID booster.

From the article:

“Older Ohioans will need to get a booster because their bodies likely didn't generate as much immunity to COVID as a young person's did when receiving their first doses," Gastaldo said. "Unvaccinated people 80 and older are about six times more likely to die from a COVID-19 infection than vaccinated people in the same age group, CDC data shows."

You can read Max’s full article on the Columbus Dispatch website by clicking the Dispatch logo below.

^{Photo Courtesy: U.S. Department of State, Official portrait of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, 2001}