While countries are scrambling to vaccinate their citizens amid the spread of Delta variant of COVID-19, there is still a lot of vaccine hesitancy among the people. In sort of a warning to all, a new US study revealed that those who are unvaccinated are 11 times more likely to die due to COVID-19.
The study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on September 10, 2021 stated that the COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective against severe COVID, hospitalisation and death. The study comes at a time when the extra-contagious COVID delta variant has been wreaking havoc across the globe, especially in the United States.
Unvaccinated 11 times more likely to dieThe CDC study, which tracked over 600,000 COVID-19 cases in 13 US states from April to mid-July, noted that those who were unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely to get infected with COVID-19 in comparison to those who are fully vaccinated. The study also revealed that unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die. CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing on September 10th that "vaccination works, the bottom line is this: We have the scientific tools we need to turn the corner on this pandemic.” Walensky informed that over 90 percent of the people in US hospitals with COVID-19 are those who are unvaccinated. |
Protection against COVID-19 slipping?
The CDC study also noted that just as earlier data has shown, protection against coronavirus infection is slipping some, as the protection against the infection was 91 percent in the spring but 78 percent in June and July.
The “breakthrough” cases of COVID-19 among the fully vaccinated accounted for 14 percent of hospitalizations and 16 percent of deaths in June and July, which is about twice the percentage as reported earlier in the year.
The CDC Director also noted that the increase in these percentages isn’t surprising, as no one ever said that the vaccines were perfect. The health experts have also warned that as more and more Americans get vaccinated, they will naturally account for a greater fraction of the cases.
Is immunity among those who were first vaccinated fading?
The CDC also released two other studies on September 10th that hinted at signals of waning protection among older adults. One of the studies examined hospitalizations in nine US states over the summer and found that protection for those 75 years and older was 76 percent in comparison to 89 percent for all other adults.
The study found that in five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, protection against COVID-19 hospitalizations was 95 percent among those aged between 18-64 years when compared to 80 percent among those who are aged 65 years and above.
As per the studies, it is not clear if these changes seen over time are because immunity is fading in those people who were vaccinated first many months ago or the fact that the vaccines aren't quite as strong against delta variant of COVID-19 or the fact that many in the nation abandoned masks and other COVID-19 protocols just as delta variant started spreading.
The US health authorities will consider this latest real-world data while deciding if some Americans need a booster shot and what would be the time gap. The health authorities are also expected to debate on Pfizer’s application to offer a third shot.
Source: The Associated Press
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