Data from a State Where Omicron Variant Hit Earlier Show Dramatic Results for Vaccinations

The Big Number: 92.3%

That’s the percentage by which fully vaccinated people had a lower chance of being hospitalized with COVID-19, compared with the unvaccinated in New York state, according to official data released for the week ending Jan. 2.

The data from a state hit early by the Omicron variant shows that, for the most recent week, the rate of hospitalizations was 58.27 people per 100,000 for the unvaccinated. That’s 13 times greater than the rate for the vaccinated—4.59 per 100,000.

Numbers in places like New York provide some guideposts for what Oregon should expect as the Omicron variant takes hold. As of Jan. 10, Portland-area staffed intensive care unit beds were 94% occupied.

COVID-19 cases are no longer predominantly among the unvaccinated, in part because Omicron evades the protections of vaccines. Vaccines are still effective at preventing the worst outcomes, but with millions of Americans (and thousands of Oregonians) still unvaccinated, hospitals are expected to continue to fill to capacity. On Jan. 9, the number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 exceeded the previous peak nearly a year ago—before vaccines were available to anyone (over age 5) who wanted one.

Even so, those who have followed public health advice to get vaccinated have reason to take heart. “Vaccination remains the best protection against getting really sick and dying of COVID-19,” says Oregon Health & Science University professor Dr. Bill Messer. He was encouraged by the increase in vaccinations during the past month. “Even though it can feel like you’re shouting into a hurricane, there is movement.”