During the coronavirus epidemic, the vast majority of deaths in the United States were of unvaccinated individuals. According to federal and state data, this has changed in recent months. The pandemic is not affecting only unvaccinated individuals anymore.  As vaccine protection decreases, older and immunocompromised people — who are most at risk of contracting covid-19 find it harder to avoid more contagious strains.

According to nationwide data provided by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 percent of deaths that occurred in February and January (during the omicron surge) were all vaccinated people. These numbers were considerably lower at 23% in September, when the Delta wave was at its peak. This data is limited to cases with known vaccination status and is based on the date of infection.

The unvaccinated population is more susceptible to the worst effects of infection than those who have been vaccinated. They are also more likely to die than those who have had a booster shot.

One of the main reasons for the raised number of deaths among vaccinated people is that the elderly population accounts for the highest number of deaths due to covid-19. According to the data available, approximately two-thirds (or three-quarters) of the total deaths in the omicron surge were people aged 75 or older. This is in contrast to the third who died from the delta wave. Although seniors are immunized, the immunity provided by vaccines becomes less potent over time, hence the need for boosters.

Experts agree that it is not surprising that seniors are more likely to die than young people who had not been vaccinated. Even though vaccine holdouts have died far more frequently than those who were vaccinated during this omicron surge. The higher the number of infected people is the higher the death toll will be and those belonging to the most vulnerable population despite being vaccinated will make up for a greater number of deaths.

According to the public data, the majority of vaccine-related deaths occur among those who didn’t receive a booster shot. Data from Mississippi and California shows that three-quarters of the vaccinated senior citizens who died between January and February were not given booster shots. Recent weeks saw regulators authorize second booster doses to be administered to people over 50 years of age, while administration of the first booster doses has remained static.

Although the death rates for the vaccinated elderly and immunocompromised are very low, the losses were significant when the cases surged. According to experts, these numbers should not cause major concern as vaccination is effective and the vast majority of those who get vaccinated will survive. These deaths are a reminder that the virus is rapidly evolving and even though vaccines are effective they can not be solely relied upon, those who are at high-risk should get booster shots and take necessary precautions.

State estimates show vaccines to be 85 percent effective in preventing deaths. They are currently our most effective tool against covid and all of its variants.The deaths of unvaccinated persons are a result of an ineffective pandemic response that emphasizes individual protection. What we need is a large scale collective effort to control and eventually defeat Covid-19

The virus continues to attack vulnerable individuals if there is no collective effort to stop the spread of the virus in the community. Experts say that even though vaccines can save lives, those who are medically vulnerable should still be alert for signs of infection. Early detection and treatment are key as more therapies are made available.

In hospitals, especially in states that have high numbers of vaccinated people areas. There has been a shift in the patients being admitted to covid wards that were dominated by unvaccinated patients to more vaccinated ones. Many of the people who end up in hospitals have other conditions that reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.

According to a spokesperson, vaccinated people made up about half of the patients admitted to the Northern California hospital system’s intensive care units in December and January. Gregory Marelich, chair for critical care in the 21 hospitals of that system, stated that most of the immunosuppressed people he saw in the ICUs had been vaccinated or boosted after organ transplants, or because they were taking medications for diseases like lupus and rheumatoid.

Methodology

The death rates show the percentage of deaths among different groups, adjusted for the number in each group. The CDC calculated the death rates for fully vaccinated people, those who have not been vaccinated, and those who received an additional booster shot using data from 23 health departments across the country.

This included all deaths that had covid-19-related causes. According to the CDC, deaths are attributed to the month in which a patient contracted covid-19 and not the month of death. The April data included deaths from people who had contracted covid since February.  

The death or incidence rates are presented as deaths per 100,000 people, these include death rates for fully vaccinated persons, unvaccinated individuals, and those who are vaccinated and have also received a booster shot. Partially vaccinated people were excluded from the data.

The population size was calculated using census data and vaccination records. For inaccuracies in vaccination data, the CDC adjusted population sizes. The is provisional and can change over time. The study sample includes those who are eligible for boosters in the US (12 years and older).

The CDC uses incidence ratios to compare the death rates of different groups based on their vaccination status. The death rates and ratios are calculated according to age groups. The value for the whole population is adjusted for the size of the population of each age group. The data is comprehensive and will play a crucial role in understanding the covid death rates so policymakers and epidemiologists can plan for the challenges ahead.