US CDC: "COVID-19 Vaccine Unvaccinated Have 11 Times Higher Mortality Rate"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] A study has revealed that the risk of death for unvaccinated individuals against COVID-19 is 11 times higher than for those who have been vaccinated.

According to CBS on the 11th (local time), this finding was included in a paper based on an investigation and analysis of 600,000 confirmed cases from April 4 to July 17 across 13 U.S. states, published in the "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)" released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cited this study during a briefing the previous day, stating, "Analyzing confirmed cases over the past two months since the Delta variant became the dominant strain domestically, unvaccinated individuals were found to be 4.5 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19, 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die."

The study also revealed that with the spread of the Delta variant, the probability of infection increased even among those fully vaccinated. While the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death remained generally high under the dominance of the Delta variant, its effectiveness in preventing infection dropped significantly from 91% to 78%.

Director Walensky emphasized that these findings underscore the importance of vaccination. She said, "More than 90% of those hospitalized were unvaccinated," adding, "The number of unvaccinated patients in hospitals is more than 10 times that of vaccinated patients."

On the same day, two other studies published in MMWR highlighted the lower vaccine effectiveness in elderly populations. A study conducted at five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) showed that vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalization was 95% for the 18?64 age group but dropped to 80% for those aged 65 and older, indicating that the elderly are relatively more vulnerable. Another study by the Vision Network, a consortium of multiple hospitals and clinics, reported vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalization as 89% for those under 75 years old and 76% for those 75 and older.

Meanwhile, on the 9th, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a decisive measure to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for federal government and large company employees in response to the pandemic’s surge.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.