As the U.S. closes in on 1 million deaths from Covid-19, a new analysis finds that the death toll would have been far higher in the absence of vaccines.
A report from The Commonwealth Fund, a non-partisan health care foundation, estimates that 2.2 million deaths were averted in the U.S. between December 12, 2020, and March 31, 2022, due to the vaccination program. In addition, vaccines prevented about 17 million hospitalizations and 66 million infections, all while saving nearly $900 billion in health care costs.
The chart from the report below shows the researchers’ estimate of how many deaths per 100,000 people would have occurred in the absence of vaccines. Deaths would have at more than 24,000 per day, far above the 4,300 per day that were actually recorded, the researchers said.
Calling for more preparation: The analysis underscores the importance of funding efforts to combat the pandemic, and the researchers called on lawmakers to remain vigilant. “Redoubling efforts to increase vaccine uptake, especially among the elderly and other vulnerable groups, will be critical to avert outbreaks as pandemic restrictions are lifted,” they wrote. “With continued spread of the BA.2 subvariant, our findings point to the tremendous power of vaccination to reduce disease burden from COVID-19. This may be even more important if newer variants arise or population immunity ebbs. Without continued funding, the lifesaving impact of vaccinations are at risk.”
In a statement Friday, the Biden administration highlighted the report while taking some credit for the lives saved. “This is the result of the Biden Administration’s efforts to use every tool to make vaccinations easy and convenient for every American, Congress providing us the vital resources we needed, and the American people stepping up and doing their part,” White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said.
Former President Donald Trump has also claimed credit for the vaccine effort, which began under his administration. But Trump’s record on the issue is controversial, with deaths rising far higher in Republican-leaning states amid much higher levels of vaccine skepticism among his supporters.
Looking forward, Zients reminded Americans that the virus is still a threat and repeated the administration’s call for more money to fund the ongoing federal response to the pandemic – funding that has been held up by political squabbles in Washington. “Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress are now holding up critical funding we need to make even more progress – to save even more lives,” he said. “Make no mistake: Inaction will leave our nation less prepared for any future surges and variants. It will mean fewer vaccines, treatments, and tests for the American people. This is deeply disappointing – and it should be unacceptable to every American. We’ve worked too hard and come too far to leave ourselves and our economy vulnerable to an unpredictable virus. The virus is not waiting on Congress to negotiate. Congress must act with urgency.”