Topline
State health officials Monday said that unvaccinated Texans were more likely to contract the disease or die from it than vaccinated residents. This is despite Texas's higher weekly Covid-19 death rate and lower average vaccination rate.
Jose Martinez receives his Moderna Covid-19 vaccination at a site at a senior centre on March 29... [+] 29, 2020 in San Antonio, Texas. Getty Images
The Key Facts
According to a Texas Department of State Health Services report, vaccinated Texans were 20 times more likely to be positive for Covid-19 than their unvaccinated counterparts. Researchers found that 81.3% of nearly 4,500 deaths from coronavirus over the same time period was caused by unvaccinated individuals. 13.7% of these deaths were linked to fully vaccinated Texans, while 5% of those deaths were due to partially vaccinated patients. If data from earlier years is used, the gap between vaccinated Texans and those who have not been vaccinated is larger. From mid-January through early October, the state's total Covid-19 deaths was 85.5%. They were also 40 times more likely than others to die. According to the study, "the proportion of deaths and cases among vaccinated people will rise" as vaccine rates increase. However, effectiveness can vary depending on how patients have developed immunity over time. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that people who had been vaccinated were 11.3 times more likely to die from Covid-19 in the period from late June through mid-July than those who were not vaccinated. However, the vaccines were slightly less effective at stopping infection, hospitalizations, and deaths after the virus's delta variant was discovered in June.
Big Number
777. According to CDC data, this is how many Texans have been killed by Covid-19 in Texas over the past week. This number surpasses all other states. The average daily death rate has dropped dramatically from more than 300 in September to just over 100 last week. However, they are still far below the all-time high of over 350 in mid January.
Tangent
According to the CDC, 61.8% have had at least one shot of coronavirus vaccine and 53.7% are fully vaccinated. The state is slightly behind the national average at 67.5% and 58.4% respectively.
Important Background
Texas has seen more than 70,000 coronavirus deaths since early 2020. This represents more than 9% country's death toll. However, Texas's fatality rate of 244 per 100,000 residents is slightly higher than the national average of 226. The state saw an increase in deaths starting in mid-July, peaking in late September. This caused Texas and Florida to account for 40% of all new Covid-19 infections nationwide in one week. The rise of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which is more transmissible than other forms, coincided with Texas' summertime spike. This drove up deaths and infected the state's hospitals.
Surprising Fact
Texas Governor. Greg Abbott (R), is currently vaccinated against Covid-19. He has called vaccines safe, effective, and issued an executive order last week that effectively banned businesses from mandating vaccines to employees and customers. The action came amid a nationwide pushback against vaccine mandates by Republican-controlled states.
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New state data from Texas shows that the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths and cases this year are being experienced by unvaccinated Texasans (Texas Tribune).
