TOPLINE
A minimum of 318,000 Covid-19 related deaths spanning from January 2021 to April 2022 would have been avoided with readily available vaccines, based on research spearheaded by Brown University and Microsoft AI Health, suggesting vaccine skepticism or lack of vaccine availability led to preventable fatalities.
KEY FACTS
If states had maintained the momentum of their peak vaccine demand, the 641,000 deaths that came after vaccines were available could’ve been slashed by over half.
The highest rates of preventable COVID-19 deaths were identified in West Virginia (2,338 preventable deaths), Wyoming (2,109), Tennessee (2,077), Kentucky (2,065) and Oklahoma (1,940).
Hawaii, D.C., Massachusetts, Puerto Rico and Vermont had the lowest number of preventable deaths.
The research factored in states’ peak vaccine demand and unvaccinated or undervaccinated COVID-19 deaths to measure vaccine preventable deaths.
SURPRISING FACT
California, Florida and Texas all have a heavy population in comparison to other states however preventable COVID death stats are higher in Texas and Florida. California had 710 preventable death estimates per 1 million adults whereas Texas had 1,378 preventable death estimates per 1 million. California is still considering a vaccine mandate for students in 2023. On the flip side, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates in October 2021.
FURTHER READING
New Anaylsis Shows Vaccines Could Have Prevented 318,000 Deaths (Brown School of Public Health and Microsoft AI for Health)