
(RightIsRight.co) – For the first time in August, most Americans who died of COVID-19 were at least partly vaccinated, reveals a report analyzing federal and state data.
In an unprecedented development since the start of the pandemic, nearly 60% of coronavirus deaths in August were vaccinated people, The Washington Post found.
“Fifty-eight percent of coronavirus deaths in August were people who were vaccinated or boosted,” the Post reported, as cited by Fox News.
The paper discovered a “troubling trend” as the percentage of deaths of vaccinated people has been “steadily rising” in the past year.
“In September 2021, vaccinated people made up just 23 percent of coronavirus fatalities. In January and February this year, it was up to 42 percent,” the report said.
The coronavirus fatality data was analyzed on behalf of the Post by Cynthia Cox, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“We can no longer say this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Cox observed.
The growing share of vaccinated people among coronavirus deaths is caused by “the waning efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and increasingly contagious strains of the virus being spread to elderly and immunocompromised people,” according to the report.
Top US health officials continue to urge Americans to get vaccinated and boosted.
Earlier this week, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha announced a “six-week sprint” campaign on behalf of the Biden administration to vaccinate Americans over the holiday season.
“Bottom line is that we’re doing everything we can in the next six weeks to help families get their updated COVID shots by the end of the year, because it’s the best protection for this winter,” Jha said.
He noted the COVID-19 vaccine had become a “once-a-year shot,” like the flu shot.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the outgoing White House Chief Medical Adviser, spoke at the same press conference, giving his “final message” as he is retiring at the end of 2022.
He argued that approved COVID-19 vaccines were safe and efficient in “preventing severe illness and deaths.”
Fauci, the highest-paid employee of the US government with an annual salary of $430,000, acknowledged that vaccine effectiveness wanes with time. However, he stressed the coronavirus wasn’t like other vaccine-treatable illnesses since it has new variants emerging every few months.
“My message, and my final message, maybe the final message I give you from this podium, is that please, for your own safety, for that of your family, get your updated COVID-19 shot as soon as you’re eligible to protect yourself, your family and your community,” Fauci said.
“I urge you to visit vaccine.gov to find a location where you can easily get an updated vaccine, and please do it as soon as possible,” he added.
Vaccinated Americans a majority of COVID deaths for first time in August: analysis https://t.co/Yu1koLlYgl
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 23, 2022