In September a massive study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) found no discernible relationship between levels of vaccination and COVID-19 case rates.
In the study, scientists investigated the relationship between the percentage of the population fully vaccinated compared to new COVID-19 cases across 68 countries and across 2947 counties in the US.
At the country level, they found that there appears to be no relationship whatsoever between how many people are fully vaccinated and the number of COVID-19 cases.
In fact, the researchers say, the trend line suggests a positive association between countries with a higher percentage of the population fully vaccinated and a higher rate of COVID-19 cases per 1 million people.
Israel with over most of their population fully vaccinated, and 25% of their population having had booster shots, has some of the highest COVID-19 cases per 1 million people.
The study noted that “the lack of a meaningful association between percentage population fully vaccinated and new COVID-19 cases are further exemplified, for instance, by comparison of Iceland and Portugal.”
The majority of people in the hospital with severe COVID cases in Israel, England, Scotland, Wales, and a few other countries, are also fully vaccinated.
Iceland and Portugal have the vast majority of their population fully vaccinated and have more COVID cases per 1 million people than countries such as Vietnam and South Africa that have a very small number of their population fully vaccinated.
The study continues:
“Across the US counties too, the median new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last 7 days are largely similar across the categories of percent population fully vaccinated. Notably, there is also substantial county variation in new COVID-19 cases within categories of percentage population fully vaccinated. There also appears to be no significant signaling of COVID-19 cases decreasing with higher percentages of the population fully vaccinated.”
“Of the top 5 counties that have the highest percentage of the population fully vaccinated (99.9–84.3%), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies 4 of them as “High” Transmission counties.“
Now a new study entitled ‘Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Evolution Revealing Vaccine-Resistant Mutations in Europe and America,’ concludes that the more vaccinated a population becomes, the more likely a vaccine-resistant strain of the virus is going to come from that population.
From the study:
“By tracking the evolutionary trajectories of vaccine-resistant mutations in more than 2.2 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes, we reveal that the occurrence and frequency of vaccine-resistant mutations correlate strongly with the vaccination rates in Europe and America. We anticipate that as a complementary transmission pathway, vaccine-breakthrough or antibody-resistant mutations, like those in Omicron, will become a dominating mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 evolution when most of the world’s population is either vaccinated or infected.”
Another recent study published on medRxiv shows that fully vaccinated people are more likely to carry more resistant and more infectious variants.
States Ranked by Percentage of Population Fully Vaccinated as of December 17th:
According to the vast majority of the scientific literature, despite what some media outlets claim, there is no correlation between vaccination and the reduction of case spread, hospitalization, or death.
It should come as no surprise then that Idaho is doing better in all three categories per 100,000 people than many states with some of the highest vaccination rates.
From Becker:
1. Vermont
Number of people fully vaccinated: 473,952
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 75.96
2. Rhode Island
Number of people fully vaccinated: 797,750
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 75.3
3. Maine
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,005,449
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 74.8
4. Connecticut
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,633,881
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 73.88
5. Massachusetts
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,075,651
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 73.64
6. West Virginia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,279,895
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 71.42
7. New York
Number of people fully vaccinated: 13,763,273
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 70.75
8. New Jersey
Number of people fully vaccinated: 6,183,309
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 69.61
9. Maryland
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,206,379
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 69.58
10. Washington
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,110,739
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 67.12
11. Virginia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,726,493
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 67.09
12. District of Columbia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 469,345
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 66.5
13. New Hampshire
Number of people fully vaccinated: 900,601
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 66.23
14. Oregon
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,772,475
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 65.73
15. New Mexico
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,370,740
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 65.37
16. Colorado
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,759,966
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 65.29
17. California
Number of people fully vaccinated: 25,742,732
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 65.15
18. Minnesota
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,644,981
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 64.63
19. Illinois
Number of people fully vaccinated: 8,025,343
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 63.33
20. Delaware
Number of people fully vaccinated: 616,331
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 63.29
21. Florida
Number of people fully vaccinated: 13,460,713
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 62.67
22. Hawaii
Number of people fully vaccinated: 885,913
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 62.57
23. Wisconsin
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,563,900
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 61.21
24. Pennsylvania
Number of people fully vaccinated: 7,741,532
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 60.47
25. Nebraska
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,142,084
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 59.04
26. Iowa
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,838,496
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 58.27
27. Utah
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,851,243
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 57.74
28. South Dakota
Number of people fully vaccinated: 497,363
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 56.22
29. Arizona
Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,090,649
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 56.2
30. Texas
Number of people fully vaccinated: 16,292,326
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 56.19
31. Kansas
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,636,475
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 56.17
32. Michigan
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,599,581
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 56.07
33. North Carolina
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,862,248
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 55.89
34. Alaska
Number of people fully vaccinated: 407,929
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 55.76
35. Nevada
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,716,487
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 55.73
36. Ohio
Number of people fully vaccinated: 6,381,746
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 54.6
37. Kentucky
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,394,836
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 53.6
38. Montana
Number of people fully vaccinated: 571,166
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 53.44
39. Oklahoma
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,089,044
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 52.79
40. South Carolina
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,703,481
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 52.51
41. Missouri
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,217,378
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 52.42
42. North Dakota
Number of people fully vaccinated: 395,055
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 51.84
43. Indiana
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,472,742
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 51.58
44. Tennessee
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,468,426
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.79
45. Arkansas
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,524,211
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.51
46. Georgia
Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,337,707
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 50.27
47. Louisiana
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,311,199
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 49.72
48. Mississippi
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,427,687
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 47.97
49. Alabama
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,306,267
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 47.04
50. Wyoming
Number of people fully vaccinated: 271,528
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 46.92
51. Idaho
Number of people fully vaccinated: 819,986
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 45.88
States Ranked by COVID-19 Hospitalization Rates as of December 17th
Connecticut
14-day change: 78% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 20
Rhode Island
14-day change: 67% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 24
District of Columbia
14-day change: 66% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 21
New Jersey
14-day change: 65% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 20
North Carolina
14-day change: 62% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 19
Illinois
14-day change: 49% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 27
Massachusetts
14-day change: 49% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 18
Maryland
14-day change: 48% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 22
Delaware
14-day change: 44% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 36
Missouri
14-day change: 39% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 32
Indiana
14-day change: 36% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 44
Oklahoma
14-day change: 36% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 21
Kentucky
14-day change: 30% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 29
South Carolina
14-day change: 30% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 11
Virginia
14-day change: 30% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 16
Kansas
14-day change: 26% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 27
New York State
14-day change: 25% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 21
Tennessee
14-day change: 25% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 17
Ohio
14-day change: 24% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 43
New Hampshire
14-day change: 20% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 34
Wisconsin
14-day change: 20% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 32
Georgia
14-day change: 19% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 13
Iowa
14-day change: 19% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 27
Mississippi
14-day change: 19% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 10
Maine
14-day change: 18% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 30
Pennsylvania
14-day change: 18% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 40
Arkansas
14-day change: 15% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 19
Nebraska
14-day change: 15% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 33
Alabama
14-day change: 13% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 10
Florida
14-day change: 12% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 7
California
14-day change: 11% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 10
South Dakota
14-day change: 11% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 30
West Virginia
14-day change: 9% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 36
Michigan
14-day change: 7% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 47
New Mexico
14-day change: 7% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 36
Minnesota
14-day change: 4% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 31
Nevada
14-day change: 4% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 23
Texas
14-day change: 4% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 13
Vermont
14-day change: 2% increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 12
Arizona
14-day change: no increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 37
Idaho
14-day change: no increase
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 17
Utah
14-day change: 1% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 16
Hawaii
14-day change: 2% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 4
North Dakota
14-day change: 4% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 34
Oregon
14-day change: 4% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 12
Washington
14-day change: 5% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 12
Louisiana
14-day change: 6% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 4
Alaska
14-day change: 8% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 10
Colorado
14-day change: 9% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 24
Wyoming
14-day change: 15% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 19
Montana
14-day change: 24% decrease
Hospitalizations per 100,000 people: 15
