Unfortunately, and truly sadly, America and Americans are engaged in a real world COVID-19 vaccine experiment.
The following are the numbers for cases, hospitalization and deaths in the ten jurisdictions with the highest rates of full vaccination as reported by the New York Times for yesterday, August 1st.
And the following are the same categories of numbers for the ten jurisdictions with the lowest rates of full vaccination:
As has been noted recently, the now dominant Delta variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus can be transmitted by both vaccinated and unvaccinated folks. Given this, the percent change in case numbers may become less the issue over time. Regardless, based on the ability of full vaccination to prevent serious illness, the differences in hospitalizations and, most tragically, death rates really matter.
So, regarding hospitalizations, please note that only one of the high vax jurisdictions compared to five of the low vax jurisdictions had an increase of greater than 100% over the last 14 days.
And with respect to deaths, none of the high vax jurisdictions vs. eight of the low vax jurisdictions had daily death rates over 0.1 per 100,000 people. And a number of the daily death rates in the latter category were shockingly high.
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Here in Canada full vaccination rates are quite uniform across all jurisdictions, except for a dip in Newfoundland Labrador and PEI. Thus, it is unlikely that we will engage in the same real world experiment with jabs themselves as is occurring in our neighbours and friends to the south. However, it would appear that, unfortunately, we here in Canuckistanmikitaville may be gearing up to embark on a non-pharmaceutical intervention experiment in at least one jurisdiction.
We can only hope that our full vax rates get to Vermont-like levels before any large increase in case numbers results.
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One thing to consider (and perhaps emphasize in the media?)...If dominant Delta variant infections occur among the vaccinated as well as the unvaccinated and if many more folks in the latter group gets seriously sick as a result, who is being most protected by, say, the maintenance of masking?
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2 comments:
Hey Ross,
I’ve been trying to think of something deep and intellectual to say but in the final analysis, at least for me, I can only conclude it’s stupidity on the grand scale. I watch the local U.S. news from hither and yon, all are sending the same message via whatever local medical expert is up, get vaccinated, wear a mask.
Texas and Florida have 1 in 3 of the new cases, both governers are running for re-election and as an added bonus, Ron Desantis has a side hustle flogging anti Fauci trash and trinkets.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2021/07/15/ron-desantis-releases-merchandise-against-masks-and-anthony-fauci-florida-coronavirus/7976313002/
Can’t let a pandemic or it’s variants get in the way of making a buck or three.
After 18 months of data it’s unbelievable the punters haven’t figured out yet that when they lie, we die, and as you note, coming to a province near us.
The only words missing from your banner “ America’s very unfortunate real world vaccine experiment” is Self Imposed.
It seems almost inevitable that 3rd booster, masks, and distance may be in our future as another variant or "breakthrough" is created by slow vaccine rates south of us.
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