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