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COVID-19 Vaccinations Have Avoided Millions of Hospitalizations and Deaths, Study Finds

Analysis  |  By Christopher Cheney  
   December 15, 2022

The study's computer model included age-stratified demographics, risk factors, and immunological dynamics of infection and vaccination.

U.S. COVID-19 vaccinations have averted more than 18.5 million additional hospitalizations and about 3.2 million additional deaths, according to a new study.

The coronavirus pandemic is among the deadliest outbreaks in U.S. history, killing more Americans than those lost in the 1918 influenza pandemic. Vaccinations for COVID-19 in the United States started two years ago, and more than 655 million doses have been administered, according to the new study.

The new study, which was conducted by The Commonwealth Fund, is based on a computer model for data from December 2020 to November 2022 that included age-stratified demographics, risk factors, and immunological dynamics of infection and vaccination. The research features four key findings:

  • COVID-19 vaccinations averted more than 18.5 million additional hospitalizations
     
  • COVID-19 vaccinations averted about 3.2 million additional deaths
     
  • COVID-19 vaccinations averted nearly 120 million additional infections
     
  • COVID-19 vaccinations averted about $1.15 trillion in medical costs

COVID-19 vaccinations have been effective with multiple benefits, the study's co-authors wrote. "The unprecedented pace at which vaccines were developed and deployed has saved many lives and allowed for safer easing of COVID-19 restrictions and reopening of businesses, schools, and other activities. This extraordinary achievement has been possible only through sustained funding and effective policymaking that ensured vaccines were available to all Americans. Moving forward, accelerating uptake of the new booster will be fundamental to averting future hospitalizations and deaths."

The reduction in COVID-19 infections is a crucial accomplishment, the co-authors wrote. "Vaccination also has prevented many millions of COVID infections. Although the acute phase of these infections may not have required medical attention, each infection carries a risk of long COVID and debilitating symptoms. Many of the prevented infections would have been reinfections, which have higher risk of death compared to initial infections."

The averted infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are significant, they wrote. "Without vaccination the U.S. would have experienced 1.5 times more infections, 3.8 times more hospitalizations, and 4.1 times more deaths. These losses would have been accompanied by more than $1 trillion in additional medical costs that were averted because of fewer infections, hospitalizations, and deaths."

Related: Researchers Link 266K Avertable Deaths to COVID Vaccination Rates

Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

COVID-19 vaccinations averted nearly 120 million additional infections, according to the new study.

COVID-19 vaccinations averted about $1.15 trillion in medical costs, the study found.

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