You don’t have to be an epidemiologist to predict that COVID is not finished with us just yet! Another wave is expected in the U.S. and Canada this spring, mainly because of the Omicron variant known as BA. 2, which appears to be more transmissible than the original strain, BA. 1, and has been fuelling outbreaks overseas. According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center, the United Kingdom had a seven-day average of over 65,000 cases and 79 deaths as of March 16th. Unfortunately, the lower vaccination rate in the U.S. is very likely to be of major concern as BA. 2 spreads farther in the States, especially in regions where vaccination rates are significantly lower than the national rate. U.S. health authorities estimate that about 65.4 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated and just 44 percent have received a third booster shot. Indeed, recent news media headlines note that COVID vaccinations — including boosters — have fallen to their lowest levels since 2020.
What is indefensible is the fact that these vaccines have proven to be very effective against Omicron, leaving fully vaccinated people with milder symptoms and fewer hospitalizations. In addition, vaccines greatly reduce the health care costs associated with COVID. In a December 2022 study, the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, which tracks U.S. health policy and outcomes, estimated that between June and November of 2021 unvaccinated American adults accounted for $13.8 billion in “preventable” COVID hospitalization costs nationwide. However, simply because the number of related hospitalizations has steadily gone down in recent months, does not mean that the number of Omicron cases have also gone down. One can expect that with more and more public health restrictions being removed, more people will become infected, with the unvaccinated most likely to suffer more severe health symptoms.
Federal reports show that the U.S. has spent billions to get vaccine shots into arms, including more than $19.3 billion to help develop vaccines. Still, the U.S. has one of the largest COVID vaccine holdout rates among highly developed countries. Particularly, as some question the need for getting the shots, especially boosters, or bristle at government or workplace mandates. Needless-to-say, there are also costs associated for unvaccinated individuals themselves, often in the form of increased health premiums under employer health insurance plans. In addition, the biggest financial risk vaccine holdouts have faced is getting laid off from their jobs due to employer imposed vaccine mandates. A Kaiser Family Foundation nationwide survey in October 2021 found that about a quarter of workers said their employer required proof of vaccination, or faced dismissals, suspensions or regular COVID testing.
The U.S. is on the verge of unfortunately recording one million COVID-related deaths over the course of this pandemic. What makes this statistic even sadder is the fact that the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation estimated vaccinations could have prevented 163,000 U.S. deaths between June and November of 2021 alone. Anti-vaccination and vaccine hesitancy remains a serious problem, despite the evidence that COVID vaccines are safe and reliable. With the emergence of BA. 2, vaccines, particularly for those seniors 65 and over and for those who are immune-compromised, remain the first line of defence against hospitalization and death. Yes, current vaccines do not prevent someone who is fully vaccinated from actually getting the COVID. However, according to Public Health Ontario figures for example, the data shows that unvaccinated people over 60 were 15 times more likely to end up in the ICU with COVID than the fully vaccinated. According to Ontario’s science advisory table, in January 2022 the rate of unvaccinated people in ICUs in the province of Ontario adjusted or “standardized” for age was 254 per million, compared to 22 fully vaccinated — a significant difference.
As of this March, Reuters reported that costs of going unvaccinated in America are mounting for workers and companies. The same can be said for Canada, although over 80 percent of Canadians were fully vaccinated and a significant number have received a third-dose COVID vaccine. Whether one agrees with vaccine mandates or not, they have proven to be effective where they were instituted. There is little doubt, based on on-going emergence of COVID variants, additional vaccines will be required in the future to finally put an end to this pandemic.
FROLITICKS 