Here's How Many NH COVID Hospitalizations Are Among Unvaccinated

NEW HAMPSHIRE — The vast majority of hospitalizations in New Hampshire due to COVID-19 are among unvaccinated people, according to statistics provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Going back to Jan. 20, when the first residents were fully vaccinated, there have been 605 coronavirus hospitalizations in the state. Just 39 of them, or 6.4 percent, have been breakthrough cases.

Cases and deaths show the same trend, with 3.4 percent of cases and 7 percent of deaths being among the vaccinated.

No vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing the virus, but the COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be significantly more effective than the average seasonal flu vaccine, which typically stops about 40 percent of cases.

The case for the vaccine is strengthened by the demographics of the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations: the unvaccinated include all residents under 12, who are not eligible to get the shot. That group is also the least vulnerable to the virus. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate is highest among the elderly, who face the highest risk of hospitalization and death from the virus.

As of Oct. 8, 54.5 percent of the state's population is fully vaccinated.

As of Thursday, the seven-day average positive test rate was 5.2 percent.