Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently suggested almost all deaths related to COVID-19 can be prevented because of the vaccine.
- “COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone ages 12 and up,” she said Tuesday, according to CNN. “They are nearly 100% effective against severe disease and death — meaning nearly every death due to COVID-19 is particularly tragic, because nearly every death, especially among adults, due to COVID-19 is at this point entirely preventable.”
Who is dying from COVID-19?
Walensky said an overwhelming amount of the COVID-19-related deaths are from unvaccinated individuals, per CNN.
- “This virus is an opportunist,” Walensky said. “As long as there are those who are not vaccinated, COVID-19 will remain a threat.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser on the novel coronavirus, told the “Today” show on Wednesday that unvaccinated people are of most concern for experts.
- “It’s the unvaccinated people that we’re concerned about. ... If they are unvaccinated, they are at risk.”
How many people are vaccinated against COVID-19?
Right now, there are about 150.4 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States, which is about 45.3% of the U.S. population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- In total, 53.5% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose, according to the CDC.