Read the full press release here

UW Health experts are pushing for the community to get vaccinated against COVID-19, citing a growing collection of evidence that vaccines are effective against the coronavirus.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other studies, there’s a stark difference in COVID-19 vulnerability between those who have and have not been vaccinated. One in 10 people without a vaccine have been infected with COVID-19, 9.5% of those infected have been hospitalized, and one out of every 56 people infected in the U.S. have died from their infections.

“There is simply no question that getting a COVID-19 vaccine will greatly reduce the risk of getting COVID-19, and will negate the intensity of COVID-19 symptoms,” UW Health Senior Medical Director Dr. Matt Anderson said. “The choice is clear.”

Health experts said those numbers plummet when looking at folks who are fully vaccinated. According to CDC data, one in 10,000 fully vaccinated people have been infected with COVID-19, one in 175,000 of those infected have been hospitalized, and one in 1 million have died from the disease.

Additional data from real world studies shows that after completing a full dose regimen, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is more than 90& effective at keeping people out of the hospital with COVID-19.

“No matter what vaccine you have access to, it’s better than the alternative – catching COVID-19,” Dr. Anderson said. “These vaccines are our most effective way to protect our families and friends, and the most powerful tool we have for beating this pandemic.”

Those looking to get vaccinated can use an online tool to help locate available appointments.