Vaccinations Prevent Nearly All COVID-19 Related Hospitalizations and Deaths, New Data Shows
Date: July 2, 2021
Number: NR21-209
Contact: CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov
Out of over 20 million fully vaccinated Californians, only 0.003% contracted COVID-19 and required hospitalization
SACRAMENTO ā Today, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding unvaccinated Californians that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, free and provides excellent protection from severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death. Out of over 20 million vaccinated individuals, only 0.003% (584 people) contracted COVID-19 and required hospitalization. The data and science clearly demonstrate vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, including the Delta variant.
"As a father and pediatrician, I urge all eligible Californians to get vaccinated to not only protect themselves, but the children in their lives and in their communities who are not able to get vaccinated," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary. "The data is clear: nearly all new COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are preventable. The vaccines work and they protect us."
The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated. With the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant, there is a renewed urgency to get all eligible Californians vaccinated as quickly as possible and complete their two-dose vaccination process if they are receiving Pfizer or Moderna.
"We are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and its variants across our state. COVID-19 has not gone away. If you are not vaccinated, you are still at risk.," said Dr. TomĆ”s AragĆ³n, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. "Currently, the Delta variant accounts for approximately 36 percent of cases sampled in California, and we expect this to rise. The most important thing we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19, and the variants, is ensure everyone who is eligible gets vaccinated."
While overall COVID-19 metrics are near an all-time low, California has always prepared for a slight increase in cases and hospitalizations post-reopening. There is no anticipation of any threat to the state's healthcare system capacity. There are enough people vaccinated against COVID-19 that the system is not at risk of being overwhelmed if cases increase. CDPH will continue to update point in time data on post vaccination cases and outcomes while monitoring vaccination and COVID-19 infection rates.
Californians who have not been vaccinated yet are encouraged to go to myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255 to schedule their appointment or go to myturn.ca.gov/clinic to find a walk-in clinic in their county.
More information on vaccines can be found at the state's vaccine resource page: Vaccines - Coronavirus COVID-19 Response (ca.gov).