Studies show that more Missouri residents could have been vaccinated to prevent 8,500 COVID deaths • Missouri-independent

A new analysis concludes that if all Missouri adults were vaccinated against COVID-19, more than half of the more than 14,000 deaths from the virus since January 2021 could have been prevented.

The Analysis by researchers Brown School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Microsoft AI for Health, Aimed to explore another scenario If demand for the COVID-19 vaccine continues at peak levels.

Using data from The New York Times and Centers Fordies Control and Prevention from January 2021 to April 2022, Researchers have discovered it nationwideIf all states were able to vaccinate the entire adult population, an estimated 318,981 deaths could have been avoided.

In Missouri An estimated 8,585 deaths could have been avoided If 100% of adults are vaccinated, Missouri is the seventh highest when calculating the number of deaths that can be prevented with a vaccine per million people. The number drops to 6,595 if 90% is vaccinated and to 5,571 if 85% is vaccinated.

Liner Phillips, President of the Missouri Immunization Union and Vice President of the Missouri Public Health Association, said:

There were 14,289 COVID-19 deaths during the analysis period. In the midst of a pandemic, more than 20,600 COVID-19s have died in Missouri. According to the state data..is more than One million people died from the virus nationwide — Experts say Thousands of COVID deaths have not been reported nationwide..

“States and countries can choose to use highly effective tools that have made them available fairly quickly in this pandemic,” said Stefanie Friedhoff, a professor of public health at Brown University and one of the analyses. I am saying. author. “If they choose not to do so, more people who don’t need to die will die. It’s very clear.”

Friedhof said Dashboard showing vaccine-preventable deaths It will continue to be updated.

In Missouri, vaccination rates are It has remained almost stagnant since the beginning of this year.. As of Wednesday, nearly 66% of Missouri’s adults have been fully vaccinated, making the state the 10th lowest vaccination rate in the country by that standard. According to the CDC..

For COVID Make a clicking sound upward again that’s why More infectious variants of coronavirus spread, State leaders have not yet promoted new vaccinations. In March, Governor Mike Parson declared COVID-19 Will begin to be treated as endemic, Similar to seasonal flu. This change reduces the frequency of reporting COVID statistics and makes contact tracing and vaccination data reductions unavailable on state dashboards.

Missouri Health Director Paula Nickelson said at a press conference in March that the state is expected to see a surge in cases and hospitalizations in the future, but the transition to endemic stages will allow the state to move as needed. He said he could recover.

“When we say’lamp backup’, for clarity, we haven’t yet claimed a mask or vaccine obligation,” Nickelson said at the time. “We do not support the blockade.”

When asked about the results of the analysis, Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for the Health and Senior Services Department, continues to be committed to making vaccines widely available and a message about the benefits of staying up to date. Said that they have additional plans to provide vaccination.

“It was an extraordinary effort to make as much progress with COVID-19 vaccination as Missouri,” Cox said, saying that more than 9 million doses were given in just 18 months.

The deployment of Missouri vaccines faced a difficult start. Confusion and chaotic marriage First months of vaccine availability..The accusation swirled the region Received more than a proportional share Residents of the state’s metropolitan area drove for hours to secure a shot. in the meantime, Vaccines that are slow to reach black residents continue to disparity And state Chasing the whole country in terms of vaccination of nursing home staff..

The Delta Variant quickly defeated southern Missouri During the summer as some communities with low immunization rates Mainly resisted the vaccine..Approximately 12 counties in rural areas of the state are still Less than 40% of the adult population is fully vaccinated..

Missouri’s efforts to provide financial incentives to encourage vaccination Seeed limited successThe incentives for local gift cards have increased distrust from residents in some rural areas and have been seen as a form of government-sponsored bribes.

According to Friedhof, states that have succeeded in vaccination of more inhabitants and had few vaccine-preventable deaths will vaccinate the most vulnerable populations, including the elderly, immunodeficiency and color communities. I was able to do it. They are also using mitigation measures more broadly, “applying the entire toolkit altogether,” Friedhoff said.

Missouri did not have a state-wide Maskman date. The Attorney General has frequently sued cities, counties, and school districts that have imposed restrictions.

According to Phillips, the pandemic has exposed holes in access to primary care, leaving residents with few reliable health care providers to seek counseling on vaccination decisions. Friedhoff said funding and investment in trusted messengers and community organizations is especially important for increasing immunization rates.

“The public health system is disappointing, but we shouldn’t give up,” Phillips said. “We need to keep seeking these vaccines, especially to make sure that the people at highest risk are vaccinated.”