In the 2 years since COVID-19 vaccines entered clinical testing, administration of 665 million doses to Americans has averted nearly 120 million infections, 18.6 million additional hospitalizations, and 3.3 million additional deaths, according to a study from The Commonwealth Fund. “The estimated infections, hospitalizations, and deaths averted by vaccination are particularly striking when compared to the actual values observed during this time period,” the report explains. “Since December 12, 2020, 82 million infections, 4.8 million hospitalizations, and 798,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S. In other words, without vaccination the U.S. would have experienced 1.5 times more infections, 3.8 times more hospitalizations, and 4.1 times more deaths. These losses would have been accompanied by more than $1 trillion in additional medical costs that were averted because of fewer infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.”
