Data on advanced cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) – Pennsylvania residents who are not vaccinated against coronavirus were much more likely to contract COVID-19, be hospitalized and die than those who received the shot, health officials said Tuesday in the first data release about so-called “advanced” infections in the state.

Health officials acknowledge that as the number of people vaccinated increases, we will begin to see more advanced cases.

Alison Beam, acting health secretary of Pennsylvania, says no vaccine is 100% effective, but the goal is to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death.

Between January and September in Pennsylvania, 6,472 people died due to COVID-19. Of these, 213 were completely vaccinated. This means that 97% of people who died from the virus were not vaccinated or were only partially vaccinated. The data also showed that 95% of hospitalizations and 94% of COVID cases are among the unvaccinated.

SEE ALSO: COVID data in children are reaching alarming highs, up 240% since July

“My hope is that this data will encourage everyone who has not been vaccinated to talk to their doctor about the vaccine as soon as possible,” Beam said.

Tuesday’s press conference was held in Lancaster County, where they see an increase in hospitalizations due to low vaccination rates. Less than 50% of the county’s population is completely vaccinated.

For members of the COVID-19 consortium of Philadelphia Black Doctors and CEO Dr. Wing Stanford, they were the data they needed to bolster their vaccination efforts.

“The data that supports the vaccine is protective for you, it’s protective for your family, for those you love, and most importantly, our children who need to be in school,” Stanford said.

On Monday, the state of New Jersey released similar data that the vast majority of cases and hospitalizations are among those who are not fully vaccinated.

SEE ALSO: The gap allows some Pennsylvania students to avoid masking the mandate

And in Delaware, of nearly 507,000 fully vaccinated residents, there were only 2,307 cases among those vaccinated or about five-tenths of 1%.

“Most of these cases and hospitalizations are people who are not vaccinated, so we know it is spreading easily among people who are not vaccinated,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of the Delaware Department of Health.

Dr. Ala Stanford says the reality is that children under the age of 12 who return to school do not yet meet the requirements for the vaccine and are therefore not protected.

“And the best we can do to protect them as adults 12 and older is to get vaccinated. That’s why some of our schools are already closed and not even a month has passed,” Stanford said.

Pennsylvania will continue to track advanced cases and update numbers. This will also determine if and when people may need a COVID booster shot.