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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a new study shows how well the coronavirus vaccines work at keeping people out of the hospital. The study examined over 43,000 cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County between May 1 and July 25 and found that unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to end up in the hospital than those who are fully vaccinated.
In addition, the study showed that unvaccinated individuals were roughly five times more likely to get infected with the Delta variant.
Overall, 25% of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 were in vaccinated individuals, but just 3% had to be hospitalized, while just 0.5% ended up in the ICU, and only 0.2% had to be put on a ventilator.
"These infection and hospitalization rate data indicate that authorized vaccines were protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 during a period when transmission of the Delta variant was increasing," the researchers said. "Efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination, in coordination with other prevention strategies, are critical to preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths."
The researchers said the new data shows the importance of getting vaccinated.
"This means that vaccinated persons are much less like to have severe illness and may only have mild symptoms," Dr. Sharon Balter, an infectious disease director at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, told NBC News. "This is a great reason to get vaccinated."
As of August 24, 51.6% of the total population has been vaccinated, and 60.9% have received at least one dose.