New research published on Friday demonstrates that the COVID-19 vaccine shots offer significant protection against hospitalization and death, especially in cases containing the highly contagious delta variant.
From April to mid-July, one study examined 600,000 people and discovered that those who were not fully vaccinated were more than tenfold more likely to be hospitalized and elevenfold more likely to die than those who were fully vaccinated.
According to the research released Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who were not vaccinated had a 4.5-fold increased risk of infection.
Additionally, the CDC released two additional studies indicating that vaccine protection appears to be waning in older groups, particularly those aged 75 and older.
Additionally, the results indicate an increase in milder COVID-19 infections in fully vaccinated individuals.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said during a White House COVID-19 briefing Friday that the data showed “vaccination works and will protect us from the severe complications of COVID-19.”
The reports were released a day after US Vice President Joe Biden announced a new vaccine mandate for large employers to ensure that their employees are immunized. The decree might have a direct impact on up to 100 million Americans.
Mississippi’s Governor Tate Reeves, a Republican, said Friday that Biden’s federal vaccine requirements were “clearly unconstitutional” and that Mississippi would join other states in filing a lawsuit.
Montana’s attorney general, Austin Knudsen, also promised Friday to fight the new federal vaccine mandate in court as soon as the full guidelines are released.
In other developments Friday, Denmark lifted the last of its COVID-19 restrictions. Vaccine passports are no longer required to enter nightclubs; the rule was removed for other venues Sep. 1.
On Saturday, Denmark will celebrate its new status with a sold-out concert for 50,000 people.
The Scandanavian country’s vaccine rollout has gone well, with 73 percent of its 5.8 million population fully vaccinated, including 96 percent of those 65 and older.
In France, former French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn was charged Friday over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Agence France-Presse.
Buzyn was charged with “endangering the lives of others.”
French officials Friday also unveiled new restrictions for U.S. travelers not vaccinated against the coronavirus. Those travelers now must show “pressing grounds for travel” in addition to the previous requirement of a negative COVID-19 test.
In South Africa, health officials began vaccinating children, taking part in clinical trials of China’s Sinovac Biotech inoculation for children 6 months to 17 years.
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center said late Friday that it had recorded 223.6 million global COVID-19 cases and 4.6 million deaths. The center said 5.6 billion vaccine doses have been administered.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
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