Here's How Many RI COVID Hospitalizations Are Among Unvaccinated

RHODE ISLAND — The vast majority of coronavirus cases in Rhode Island are among unvaccinated people, according to statistics available from the state's Department of Health.

Over the past month, 76 percent of the 8,497 statewide cases were among persons who had not received the shot. That's from Sept. 4 to Oct. 2, the dates of state updates on coronavirus among vaccinated residents.

In that same period, over 60 percent of the state's residents were fully vaccinated, which means those without the vaccine faced three times the risk of testing positive for the virus.

Cases and deaths show the same trend. Back to Jan. 21, when the first residents were fully vaccinated, just 9 percent of hospitalizations and deaths have been among vaccinated residents.

As of Thursday, 179 of the state's 562 hospitalized coronavirus patients were vaccinated, or 31.9 percent.

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.

According to state data, 69.2 percent of Rhode Island residents have been vaccinated.

In the week of Oct. 2, 1.8 percent of Rhode Island coronavirus tests came back positive.