COVID-19: Vaccine Protection Against Hospitalization Is Dropping Slightly, CDC Says

31st August 2021
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30 August 2021. ABC News: The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 637,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 61.2% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Study provides more details on vaccine strength for immunocompromised

Fully vaccinated immunocompromised individuals still produce immunity, but at reduced levels compared to healthy individuals, according to a study released Monday by the American College of Physicians.Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine compared antibody responses between 133 immunosuppressed and 53 healthy participants between Dec. 10, 2020, and March 20. The study looked at mRNA COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna.

The study’s main findings found reduced antibody levels in the immunosuppressed group, particularly those taking steroids and specific drugs depleting white blood cells.

Researchers said the study emphasizes the need for booster shots among immunocompromised patients.

Florida doctors beg people to get vaccinated as hospitals fill to capacity

Doctors from Lee Health Facilities, a health care system in Florida that consists of four acute care hospitals and two specialty hospitals, are begging residents to get vaccinated as hospital beds remain unavailable.Patients are currently waiting for beds in hallways and closets, doctors announced at a news conference Monday.

Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, admitted 92 COVID-19 patients on Sunday alone, and eight to 12 patients in the health system are dying every day, Dr. Larry Antonucci, CEO of Lee Health, told reporters, saying the deaths are “not necessary.”

“Our COVID rate in this county is three times what we’re seeing throughout the rest of the United States,” Antonucci said.

Nearly 50% of people coming into the hospital system’s emergency department are seeking treatment for issues related to COVID-19, said Dr. Timothy Dougherty, medical director for emergency management.

“That number is insane,” Dougherty said, adding that people in their 20s and 30s are dying as well. “No other disease demands these amounts of resources, including BiPAP and ventilators, and all that could be prevented with the vaccine.”

The neonatal intensive units within the hospital system are “overflowing” as well, Dr. Stephanie Stoval, a pediatric infectious disease specialist said, adding that pregnant women who contract COVID-19 are more likely to go into labor early or have pregnancy complications.

“It’s never been this full before,” Stoval said.

The hospital system is looking for additional spaces to expand treatment, Antonucci said.