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In highly vaccinated Massachusetts, no excess mortality detected this spring

August 23rd, 2022

WHO Jeremy Faust, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, corresponding author of The Lancet Infectious Diseases paper

WHAT Throughout the pandemic, waves of COVID-19 cases have had corresponding waves of excess mortality—deaths that go above and beyond the expected number for that time of year. But in Massachusetts, where more than 80 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, researchers found that during the 18 weeks from Feb. 27 to June 26, 2022, there was no excess mortality in the state, despite waves of COVID cases and hospitalizations.

"This is good news, and it suggests that, in our highly vaccinated state, we are benefitting from a high level of immunity, which likely helped to protect individuals at highest risk of the most feared outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection," said Faust. "But we need to remain vigilant; as new variants emerge or immunity wanes, we may see a rise in excess mortality once more."

WHEN Dr. Faust is available today, August 22.

More information:
Jeremy Samuel Faust et al, Uncoupling of all-cause excess mortality from COVID-19 cases in a highly vaccinated state, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00547-3

Provided by Brigham and Women's Hospital

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