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CDC: Unvaccinated People 11 Times More Likely To Die Of COVID-19

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- New numbers from the Allegheny County Health Department say over the past 72 hours, there have been 1,042 new cases of COVID-19.

According to new data from the CDC, vaccines are working. The study followed 600,000 COVID-19 cases across 13 states. Vaccinated people are about five times more likely to not get infected, more than 10 times more likely to avoid hospitalization, and 11 times more likely to not die than unvaccinated people.

The same study says breakthrough cases made up 14% of hospitalizations and 16% of deaths in June and July. That's about double from earlier in the year.

Doctors are not too concerned because as more people get the vaccine, those percentages were expected to increase. Doctors said the vaccines are working how they're supposed to.

Locally, doctors have found the majority of cases that ended in hospitalization are unvaccinated people.

"Why would you want to expose yourself to the potential for a bad infection where you need a breathing machine and might even die? It happens in many people, including people who aren't terribly ill, to begin with," UPMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Donald Yealy said.

"No one has the personal liberty, right to do something that endangers others. That's exactly what you do when you don't get vaccinated," AHN Emergency Physician Dr. Arvind Venkat said over Zoom.

Here is the full CDC report.

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