COVID deaths among unvaccinated Wisconsinites spike over last month

MADISON, Wis. — COVID-19 deaths among people who are not fully vaccinated more than doubled in the last month, according to the latest data from Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services.

Wisconsin saw 24.5 deaths per 100,000 people among those who were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated in September, compared to 1.3 deaths per 100,000 fully vaccinated people. Deaths were more than twice as high among the unvaccinated and not fully vaccinated compared to the previous month, when there were 11.7 deaths per 100,000 people in August, compared to 1.1 deaths per 100,000 vaccinated people.

Hospitalizations also significantly increased among those who weren’t fully vaccinated, with 122 hospitalizations per 100,000 people being reported in the last month, compared to 98.5 hospitalizations per 100,000 the month before.

Hospitalizations were also up slightly among fully vaccinated people, although at significantly lower rates. The state is reporting just 13.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 vaccinated people, up from 11.5 per 100,000 the month before.

Total case numbers also rose for both groups of people in September, which some health officials anticipated as many kids returned to school in person that month. Cases among Wisconsin’s unvaccinated and not fully vaccinated grew significantly in September, with 2,351.2 cases per 100,000 people being reported, up from 1413.7 per 100,000 the month before.

There were 513.3 cases per 100,000 fully vaccinated people in September, also up from August, when 1413.7 cases per 100,000 were reported.

Even with increased numbers across the board for vaccinated people, Wisconsinites who weren’t fully vaccinated were about 4.5 times more likely to test positive, nearly 9 times more likely to be hospitalized, and nearly 19 times more likely to die of COVID-19 in September.

As of Thursday, 3,334,926 people — or 57.3% of Wisconsin’s residents — have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. A total of 3,175,994 people, or 54.5% of the state’s population, have completed their vaccine series.