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Research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday shows that unvaccinated people are much more likely not only to be infected with Covid-19, but also to die from the virus.
Two other agency reports, also released on Friday, found that the vaccines had largely retained their ability to keep infected patients out of hospital, even amid the highly contagious delta variant.
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One study found that when the delta variant became dominant in the summer, unvaccinated people were 4.5 times more likely to be infected, more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die from Covid.
This CDC research, based on data collected by the agency’s hospitalization monitoring network, looked at more than 600,000 reported Covid cases across the country from April to July, especially since the delta variant quickly took hold.
A second study, on the effectiveness of vaccines, focused on more than 1,000 hospitalizations linked to Covid. Some of these infections occurred earlier in April, when the alpha variant of the virus was circulating widely. Others occurred from July through August, when the delta variant dominated.
The injections have remained very effective – over 90% – against hospitalization in those under 65. However, this protection seemed to fade a bit for those 65 and over, where it fell to just under 80%.
“These vaccines remain extremely effective in preventing what concerns us most: serious infections, hospitalizations and death,” said Dr Richard Besser, chairman of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC.
The third study had similar results, showing that in general the effectiveness of vaccines in keeping Covid patients out of hospital was 86%. However, this efficacy was lower in adults over 75 years of age, at 76%.
Besser said he was not surprised by this discovery; it is not surprising to see a decrease in the effectiveness of vaccines in the elderly, as the immune system tends to weaken with age.
This third assessment was based on studies of approximately 32,000 people hospitalized or who visited emergency care clinics for any reason over the summer.
When researchers looked specifically at the vaccines people had received, the efficacy against hospitalization was highest among those who received Moderna injections, at 95%, followed by Pfizer-BioNTech injections, at 80%. , and Johnson & Johnson at 60%. .
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The research is expected to be reviewed next Friday when Food and Drug Administration advisers are expected to meet to discuss the safety and effectiveness of a third dose.
The Biden administration said in August that it intended to offer these booster doses to all eligible Americans from September 20. The boosters would be available for people eight months after receiving their second dose.
The effort would likely mirror the initial vaccine rollout, with healthcare workers, nursing home residents and people over 65 on the front lines.
The CDC will also need to approve the plan before recommending these additional doses.
Federal health officials, as well as most major medical groups, strongly encourage vaccination against Covid for anyone aged 12 and over.
“Vaccination works and will protect us from serious complications from Covid-19,” CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said on Friday during a Covid task force briefing at the White House.
The message echoed that of President Joe Biden who on Thursday presented a broad plan to increase immunizations nationwide, including executive orders mandating the injections for federal government employees and other large corporations.
On Friday, the CDC reported that 62.5% of the U.S. population eligible for vaccines had been fully immunized. Seventy-three percent had received the first dose.
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