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Research from the United States highlights the importance of vaccination in reducing the number of COVID-19 infections. In fact, some 6.8 million cases could be prevented if the U.S. vaccinates half its population by the summer.
In the U.S., 30% of the population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 56% or around 145 million people have already received at least one dose. But the rate of daily vaccinations has started to slow. In response, President Joe Biden has set a new target of vaccinating 70% of American citizens or 160 million people with at least one dose by U.S. Independence Day, July 4.
This objective is underscored by a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. If the U.S. manages to vaccinate 50% of its population by the summer, 6.8 million COVID-19 cases could be avoided this fall, predicts the study, led by researchers from PHICOR (Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research) at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
The researchers suggest that limiting the number of cases in this way could save $9.8 billion in societal costs. While the vaccination drive also comes with costs, “such investments may end up paying for themselves,” explains Sarah Bartsch, MPH, the study’s lead author and project director for PHICOR.
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“For example, the potential cost savings exceed the $1.5 billion Biden Administration community outreach and media campaign. Our results show that increasing total vaccination coverage by just one percent could cover the costs of this effort,” she said.
A 1% increase in vaccination could prevent 7,100 deaths
