Unvaccinated Coloradans almost 4 times as likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19

Coloradans who aren’t afloat vaccinated were astir 4 times arsenic apt to beryllium hospitalized for COVID-19 arsenic of mid-August, suggesting that portion the shots whitethorn person mislaid immoderate effectiveness successful preventing infections, they inactive greatly trim the hazard of terrible illness.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ordered hospitals to statesman reporting information astir patients’ vaccination presumption past week. On Wednesday, the bureau began posting that information for the public.

People who were astatine slightest 2 weeks retired from their last dose of the vaccine were 3.4 times little apt to trial affirmative for COVID-19 arsenic of Aug. 22 and 3.8 times little apt to beryllium hospitalized arsenic of Aug. 15 compared to radical who weren’t afloat incoluated.

The decease information lone goes done July, but afloat vaccinated radical were astir 5.8 times little apt to dice astatine that point.

The reporting hold is meant to guarantee the information is arsenic implicit arsenic possible, authorities epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said successful a quality league Wednesday.

“Most of the transmission, astir of the hospitalization, is among our unvaccinated population,” Herlihy said.

Unvaccinated radical who were hospitalized were younger, connected average, than those who had a much terrible breakthrough infection. As of mid-August, the mean property for radical who were hospitalized aft being afloat vaccinated was 73, but it was 58 for radical who were unvaccinated.

The delta variant has driven an summation successful “breakthrough” infections among vaccinated radical since June. People implicit property 80 were overrepresented among breakthrough cases, possibly due to the fact that they’re little apt to person a robust immune response, Herlihy said.

People who person compromised immune systems are astatine a higher hazard of a terrible breakthrough infection, due to the fact that they whitethorn not equine a beardown defence aft the archetypal 2 shots, and immoderate grounds suggests older radical whitethorn besides beryllium much susceptible. In mid-August, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that immoderate radical with immune conditions get a 3rd dose of the vaccine.

President Joe Biden’s medication has called for booster doses for everyone starting successful precocious September, but the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration person said they may request much time to measure the imaginable risks and benefits.

People betwixt the ages of 20 and 49 besides accounted for a larger-than-expected stock of breakthrough cases successful Colorado. It’s imaginable they were much apt to person the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is somewhat little effectual than the Pfizer oregon Moderna versions, oregon they whitethorn person been exposed to the microorganism much often than older people, Herlihy said.

“That tends to beryllium the colonisation that is retired and about,” she said.