Vaccines could've saved 16,000 Ohioans, study says

Vaccinations could have prevented more than half of Ohio's nearly 30,000 COVID-19 deaths between January 2021 and last month, per a new analysis by Brown University School of Public Health.

Driving the news: Researchers created a model illustrating what could have happened if 100% of adult Americans got fully vaccinated and boosted after the shots became available.

• The study used real-world data from the CDC and the New York Times while considering variables such as supply and vaccine effectiveness over time.

The big picture: Nationwide, COVID vaccines could have prevented roughly 319,000 deaths, nearly half of those occurring during the study's time frame, Axios' Tina Reed reports.

• The news comes as the country's overall recorded death toll hit 1 million people on Monday, per the AP. That includes 38,550 in Ohio.

Zoom in: Ohio, with its 15,875 vaccine-preventable deaths, ranks No. 9 overall per 1 million people when compared to other states.

• With just 68% of adults fully vaccinated against the virus and 56% of that group having received a booster, Ohio's vaccination rate is below average nationally.

What they're saying: "The vaccine rollout has been both a remarkable success and a remarkable failure," Brown's Stefanie Friedhoff, one of the analysis' authors, told NPR.

• While the U.S. was able to get a large vaccine supply rolled out quickly, the shots are useless if they're not going into arms.

The bottom line: As COVID immunity wanes over time and the virus continues to mutate, vaccines and boosters remain our best tools for fighting off new waves of infections.

• Officials must remain committed to increasing vaccine demand, the study's authors say.

💭 Our thought bubble: It's not too late to protect yourself and your loved ones. Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.