Rabat – Unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and six times more likely to contract the virus, a new study shows. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, October 15, released the findings of a massive study that again shows the importance of vaccinations to halt the pandemic.
The CDC analysis is based on the first large-scale use of public data in the US after states and municipalities released their independent data on new cases, deaths and hospitalization rates. The study shows that the deadly impact of the COVID-19 virus has significantly dropped as vaccination rates increase, especially among the elderly.
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It also shows that people above the age of 50 are 15 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 when unvaccinated. People between the ages of 50-64 in particular benefit from vaccinations as they are 31 times more likely to be hospitalized if they contract the virus.
The findings confirm the importance of vaccination as a means of reducing the pandemic impact on people’s lives. The news comes as Morocco is approaching a milestone of having vaccinated 21 million citizens, with more than 23 million having received a first dose and 625 thousand have received an additional booster shot.
According to data by Statista, Morocco has administered nearly 42 million vaccines, most of which are the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine that has shown to be an effective jab against the virus.
Read also: Morocco’s COVID-19 Infections Decline ‘Booster’ Shot Campaign Progresses
Despite Morocco’s relatively small population vis a vis other African countries, the country continues to be a continental leader on vaccines, having administered the most vaccines, more than double than runner-up South Africa which has administered 18.5 million doses.
Morocco’s bilateral agreements with China enabled it to launch a vast national vaccination campaign while most African countries were forced to wait for vaccines as part of foreign aid. As Morocco increases the domestic production of the SInopharm vaccine, hopes are high that its success will soon help the continent in addressing the troubling shortages in vaccines.
