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Coloradans who are not fully vaccinated were nearly four times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 in mid-August, suggesting that while the injections may have lost some effectiveness in preventing infection, they still significantly reduce the risk of serious illness.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ordered hospitals to begin reporting data on the immunization status of patients last week. On Wednesday, the agency began releasing this data to the public.
People who were at least two weeks away from their final vaccine dose were 3.4 times less likely to test positive for COVID-19 on August 22 and 3.8 times less likely to be hospitalized on August 15 compared to people who were not. It’s not completely colorless.
Death data only goes up to July, but fully vaccinated people were about 5.8 times less likely to die at that point.
The reporting deadline is aimed at ensuring the data is as complete as possible, state epidemiologist Dr Rachel Herlihy said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“Most of the transmission, most of the hospitalizations, occurs among our unvaccinated population,” Herlihy said.
Unvaccinated people who were hospitalized were on average younger than those who had a more severe breakthrough infection. In mid-August, the average age of people hospitalized after being fully vaccinated was 73, but it was 58 for those not vaccinated.
The delta variant has led to an increase in “breakthrough” infections in people vaccinated since June. People over 80 were over-represented among the breakthrough cases, perhaps because they are less likely to have a robust immune response, Herlihy said.
People with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of serious infection because they may not provide a strong defense after the first two injections, and some evidence suggests that older people may also be more susceptible. In mid-August, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that some immunocompromised people receive a third dose of the vaccine.
President Joe Biden’s administration has called for booster doses for everyone starting in late September, but the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have said they may need more time to assess the risks and consequences. potential benefits.
People between the ages of 20 and 49 also accounted for a larger than expected share of Colorado breakthrough cases. It is possible that they were more likely to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is slightly less effective than the Pfizer or Moderna versions, or that they were exposed to the virus more often than the elderly, Herlihy said.
“It tends to be the population that is outside,” she said.
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