BOOM: UNVACCINATED ADULTS 11 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE of COVID-19: CDC
In August, the risk of dying from the coronavirus was more than 11 times higher for unvaccinated adults, new CDC data shows.
By Kaia Hubbard
Oct. 15, 2021, at 5:37 p.m.
usnews.com
Unvaccinated adults had a far greater risk of contracting COVID-19 or dying from the disease in August than vaccinated adults, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The risk of dying from COVID-19 was more than 11 times greater in August for unvaccinated adults than fully vaccinated adults, while the risk of testing positive for the coronavirus was six times higher among the unvaccinated, the CDC data says.
But the data is not a complete picture, as the agency is currently coordinating with 16 health departments throughout the country that account for just 30% of the U.S. population, the CDC says. The data will be updated as more health departments begin to participate.
The new data aligns with a study released by the agency last month that analyzed coronavirus cases and deaths between April and July. The study likewise found that unvaccinated individuals were 11 times more likely to die of the coronavirus and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with the disease.
But cases have begun to decline since the delta variant surged throughout the summer. "All three of the parameters – cases, hospitalizations and deaths – are on the decline," the nation's top infectious disease officer, Anthony Fauci, said during this week's White House COVID-19 briefing. "But we have got to do better than that."
Health officials and leaders have continued to emphasize vaccination as the way out of the pandemic amid pending booster shot eligibility for certain vulnerable groups and awaited initial-dose approval for children ages 5-11.
"Now is not the time to let up," President Joe Biden said during remarks about his vaccination program Thursday. "We're in a very critical period as we work to turn the corner on COVID-19. First, we have to do more to vaccinate the 66 million unvaccinated people in America. It's essential." |
