The analysis examines data about COVID-19 deaths after vaccines became widely available nationwide at no charge. It looks at the share of deaths among adults who were vaccinated and unvaccinated, adjusted based on the latest age-adjusted estimates for vaccine effectiveness from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The analysis also estimates that COVID-19 was the second-leading cause of death in September behind only heart disease, with an average of nearly 1,900 deaths per day reported.
Prior to the widespread availability of vaccines earlier this year, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for several months this winter before falling to eighth in July. Since then, cases and deaths have risen due to the more infectious Delta variant, insufficient vaccination rates, and a reduction in social-distancing measures, the foundation said.
