There’s an important addition in today’s (Jan. 19) update on COVID-19 outcomes by vaccination status: During November, unvaccinated people were 17.5 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than the fully vaccinated.
Hospitalization data provides a deeper look at the numbers in this twice-monthly report posted at the top of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
Also during November, the report shows, unvaccinated people were 4.9 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 and 31.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the fully vaccinated.
We regularly tell Arizonans that COVID-19 vaccines dramatically reduce the risk of severe illness and death, along with reducing the chances that you will get infected. Adding a rate for hospitalization provides even stronger evidence for this protection.
If you have yet to get vaccinated, please do so as soon as possible. The report shows that every week since July 1, and across all age groups, people who were unvaccinated had significantly greater risks of testing positive for and being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19.
If you are fully vaccinated and have yet to get a booster dose, please take advantage of these safe, free and highly effective vaccines to make sure your COVID-19 protection is up to date. A booster dose is recommended at least five months after Moderna or Pfizer and at least two months after Johnson & Johnson/Janssen.
Vaccines and boosters are widely available. You can find a convenient provider at azhealth.gov/FindVaccine.
Jessica Rigler, an Arizona native, began her public health career more than 15 years ago, serving in varied roles with local, state, federal and international public health agencies. She has been with the Arizona Department of Health Services for over 12 years, supporting evaluation activities with the state immunization program, serving as the state’s first healthcare associated infections coordinator, and leading the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control. Rigler is currently an assistant director overseeing the Division of Public Health Preparedness at ADHS, which spans the areas of Epidemiology and Disease Control, Emergency Medical Services, Public Health Statistics, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory. In recent years, she has worked with the ADHS team to lead critical public health responses including opioids and COVID-19. Rigler holds bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and human development from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s degree in public health from Emory University. She is a certified health education specialist and certified in infection control.
