US Can Prevent Millions Of Covid Cases By Vaccinating Half Its Population By Summer: Study

The study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases shows the lives, hospitalisations, and costs that can be saved by even relatively small increases in vaccination coverage.

A new study has found that if the United States vaccinates half its population by the summer vs fall, 6.8 million cases could be prevented and USD 9.8 billion in societal costs could be saved. The study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases shows the lives, hospitalisations, and costs that can be saved by even relatively small increases in vaccination coverage and reaching higher vaccination coverage levels sooner (e.g., by the end of the summer versus fall/winter). The study was led by researchers from PHICOR (Public Health Informatics, Computational, and Operations Research) at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. The team developed a computer simulation model of the entire U.S. and the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus throughout the country. Using the model, the team could simulate vaccinating different proportions of the population at different rates with different types of COVID-19 vaccines. Like real people, each of these virtual people could become infected with the virus and develop different symptoms over time and, depending upon the severity of those symptoms, visit clinics, emergency departments, or hospitals. These in turn would have associated costs, allowing the tracking of various medical costs and productivity losses.