Member-only story
COVID Vaccines Still Dramatically Reduce Severe COVID, Hospitalization, and Death
Even against Omicron, vaccination offers substantial protection against the worst outcomes of COVID, even in people with previous infections.
Two or three doses of mRNA COVID vaccines reduce the risk of death or needing a ventilator by 90%, even against Omicron, according to new research from the CDC. In addition, a study published today in Lancet Infectious Diseases found that, in people who have already had COVID, vaccination with any of four major vaccines (including two available in the U.S.) cut risk of another bout of COVID in half while reducing risk of hospitalization from COVID by 80% to 90%, depending on the vaccine.
Both sets of findings are encouraging because they provide more evidence about the benefit of vaccination in preventing the worst outcomes of COVID, even if they do not always prevent mild disease or the ability of someone infected to transmit the virus to others. The second study also provides more evidence that even people who have natural immunity from a previous COVID infection can benefit from vaccination.
