Why Is the COVID-19 Death Rate High in the US? "Low Vaccination Rates Among Elderly and Vulnerable Groups"

NYT "US Vaccination Rate Lags Behind Other High-Income Countries"
"Next Variant Wave Could Lead to Another Severe Situation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] An analysis has emerged that the reason why the COVID-19 mortality rate in the United States is unusually high compared to other advanced countries such as Western Europe is because the vaccination rate among the elderly and vulnerable groups is correspondingly low.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 2nd (local time), the recent number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States has already surpassed the time last fall when the Delta variant was rampant, and has exceeded two-thirds of last winter when vaccines were unavailable.

In particular, the NYT analyzed that since the Omicron variant began to spread widely, the mortality rate in the United States is 63% higher than in other high-income European countries.

This winter, the only countries in Europe with higher mortality rates than the United States are relatively medically under-resourced countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Greece, and the Czech Republic.

The NYT analyzed that the reason the United States is struggling is because its vaccination rate lags behind other high-income countries.

Especially, the vaccination rate among the elderly and vulnerable groups is relatively low. Among Americans aged 65 and older, 12% have not completed vaccination (based on two doses), and 43% have not received an additional booster shot.

In contrast, in the United Kingdom, only 4% of the population aged 65 and older have not completed vaccination, and only 9% have not received a booster shot.

Experts expressed concern that if the next variant spreads, the United States could face a serious situation again, due to the high proportion of high-risk groups such as those with obesity or diabetes.

Another risk factor for the United States is the high level of distrust in the government and society.

Dr. Thomas Bollyky, head of the International Health Program at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, and Professor Joseph Dieleman of the University of Washington recently argued in a paper published in the international academic journal Lancet that the level of distrust in a country is closely related to the COVID-19 infection rate.

Over the past decade, as the number of Americans who do not trust the government has increased significantly, during the current COVID-19 crisis, many have not followed health prevention policies such as vaccination, mask-wearing, and social distancing, leading to higher infection rates and unnecessary deaths.

Dr. Bollyky said, "When facing a new infectious disease, the best the government can do to protect its citizens is to persuade them to protect themselves."

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