In just 6 months, COVID-19 vaccines saved 1/4 million lives in the US

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-01-12 03:00

International

The roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in the US almost halved the COVID-19 death and hospitalisation rate, saving around a quarter of a million lives over the six months from December 2020, to June 2021, according to new data. The authors estimate the vaccines prevented around 1.1 million hospitalisations, and around 14 million COVID-19 cases over this period. The authors say vaccination prevented a wave of COVID-19 cases driven by the Alpha variant that would have occurred in April 2021 without vaccination.

Media release

From: JAMA

Estimating COVID-19 Infections, Hospitalizations, Deaths After US Vaccination Campaigns

JAMA Network Open
Research Letter

About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is the new online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

What The Study Did: The findings of this simulation model suggest that the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program was associated with an estimated reduction in total hospitalizations and deaths by nearly half during the first six months of 2021.

Authors: Alison P. Galvani, Ph.D., of the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut, is the corresponding author.

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.42725)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

# # #

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Yale School of Public Health, USA

Funder: For details on obtaining the paper, contact the SMC. Australian newspapers have permission from the journal to run this story in print on the day the embargo lifts, with the strict proviso that nothing can appear online until after the embargo lifts.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.