The nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Americans who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are several times more likely to be hospitalized or die.
During a White House COVID-19 Response Team press briefing on Friday, Dr Anthony Fauci shared data on virus outcomes by vaccination status from Public Health – Seattle & King County in Washington state.
The data found individuals who had not started or completed their vaccine series were eight times more likely to test positive for Covid.
These people were also 41 times more likely to be hospitalized due to the virus and 57 times more likely to die than those were fully vaccinated.
Fauci said that because these figures are from the past month, this shows how highly transmissible the Delta variant is and how protective vaccines are against the most severe effects of Covid.
‘This is COVID-19 data over the past 30 days – essentially Delta data,’ he said.
‘COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, convenient and free. They protect you, your loves ones, and your community.’
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Dr Anthony Fauci shared COVID-19 data during a White House COVID-19 Response Team press briefing on Friday (above) from King County in Washington state comparing not fully vaccinated people to fully vaccinated people over the last 30 days
People who hadn’t started or completed vaccination were 57 times more likely to die with a daily rate of 2.28 deaths per 100,000 compared to 0.04 deaths per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated. Chart shows data only as of September 22
The data compared King County residents with ‘breakthrough cases,’ which occur when people test positive for Covid at least 14 days after receiving their final dose, to unvaccinated people who contract the virus.
Officials have previously stated that no vaccine provides 100 percent protection, which means there will be more breakthrough cases as more people get vaccinated.
However, studies have shown that less than one percent of people who are fully vaccinated contract the virus, and even fewer have severe complications.
As of September 20, the most recent date for which Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data is available, 14,643 out of more than 181 million fully vaccinated people were hospitalized.
An even smaller number – 4,493 – died.
The new data, compiled by King County officials, show just how uncommon breakthrough infections are and how protective COVID-19 vaccines are against critical illness.
Fully vaccinated residents were compared to ‘not fully vaccinated’ people – meaning the unvaccinated, people who just started their vaccine series and those who completed vaccination within the last 14 days.
Results showed that, over the last 30 days, 11,868 not fully vaccinated people tested positive for Covid compared to 5,640 fully vaccinated residents.
The daily case rate for fully vaccinated people was 10.7 new cases per 100,000 people compared to 82.4 per 100,000 among the not fully vaccinated.
This means that people not fully vaccinated were 7.7 times more likely to contract the virus.
Hospitalization rate for not fully vaccinated people was 41 times higher at 8.72 per 100,000 per day in comparison with 0.21 per 100,000 per day for the fully vaccinated. Chart shows data only as of September 22
Not fully vaccinated people were eight times more likely to test positive at 82.4 cases per 100,000 compared to 10.7 new cases per 100,000 for the vaccinated over the last 30 days. Chart shows data only as of September 22
When it came to hospitalizations and deaths, the risk was even higher among not fully vaccinated individuals.
Over the last month, 543 not fully vaccinated residents were hospitalized with a rate of 8.72 per 100,00 per day.
Comparatively, 131 people who completed their immunization series were hospitalized with a daily rate of 0.21 per 100,000 per day – meaning the fully vaccinated were 41.4 times less likely to need inpatient care.
During the same time period, 90 not fully vaccinated individuals died as did 26 fully vaccinated people.
With a daily case rate of 2.28 deaths per 100,000 for the not fully vaccinated compared to 0.04 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, it means those who have not started or completed their vaccine series are 56.7 times more likely to die of Covid.
All coronavirus samples that undergo genetic sequencing are confirmed to be Delta, meaning the variant is responsible for 100% of cases (above)
Because these cases, hospitalizations and deaths occurred over the last month, Fauci said these are linked to the Delta fueled-surge.
A report last week from the state Department of Health showed that, as of September 11, all virus samples that underwent genetic sequencing were confirmed to be Delta, meaning the variant is essentially responsible for 100 percent of all infections.
The variant is at least twice as contagious as previous dominant strains including the Alpha variant, which originated in the UK.
‘We are extremely concerned by this increased spike in cases, driven by the delta variant, spreading like wildfire amongst men, women, and children,’ Washington’s Secretary of Health Dr Umair Shah said last month.
‘Vaccination the best tool we have in this pandemic, but we also recommend that individuals mask indoors, and avoid large, crowded settings vaccinated or not.’