COVID-19 vaccination could have prevented hundred of thousands of virus-related deaths, according to an analysis conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

As of this month, nearly one million Americans have died due to COVID-19. Their analysis found that over 230,000 deaths related to the virus could have been prevented by prompt vaccination. In September 2021 alone, almost 42,000 mortalities could have been averted.

“COVID-19 vaccines that are free, safe, and highly effective have been widely available to all adults in the U.S. since early May 2021,” the authors of the study wrote. “By June 2021, adults in the U.S. could have been fully vaccinated and protected from most cases of severe illness or death due to COVID-19.”

Researchers reviewed COVID-19 deaths among adults after vaccines were widely accessible, excluding children as they comprise less than 1% of virus-related mortalities.

To get an accurate idea of the number of deaths that could have been averted by getting the vaccine, the number of COVID-19-related deaths among vaccinated individuals was excluded.

Although vaccinated individuals can still die due to the virus, the majority of deaths are still among those who have not yet received the vaccine.

“COVID-19 vaccines continue to be highly effective against severe disease and death, even as new variants, including Omicron, have emerged,” researchers concluded. “COVID-19 vaccines continue to offer tremendous protection from COVID-19 death, and that protection is significantly enhanced with recommended booster shots.”

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