The danger of death from COVID-19 drops sharply after vaccination, but this protection fades markedly after about six months, underscoring the need for booster shots. This conclusion comes from a peer‑reviewed study that analyzed vast data from adults with COVID-19.
Researchers examined more than 10 million adult COVID-19 cases spanning May 2020 to February 2022. For adults over 50, the chance of dying within six months of a positive test was roughly ten times higher among the unvaccinated compared with those who were vaccinated in the same window. In raw figures, the death rate was about 6.3 percent among the unvaccinated and 0.6 percent among the vaccinated group.
These numbers highlight the protective effect vaccination provided during that period.
Findings also show a noticeable drop in deaths in early 2021 when vaccines first became widely available. Across all age groups, the risk of death stayed low for about six months after the last dose. After that interval, the protection declined and the mortality risk began to rise again.
The study reinforces the success of vaccination efforts against COVID-19 and emphasizes why boosters matter for sustained protection.
Earlier experts had suggested that the death risk from COVID-19 could be higher than that from influenza, pointing to the importance of reducing risk through vaccination and boosters.
(study attribution)