Even with vaccinations, Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the biggest risk factor for COVID-19 is age.
At a modelling presentation on Thursday, BC health officials said that a majority of those dying are 80 years of age and older and fully-vaccinated.
Nearly half of the vaccinated people hospitalized in October with COVID-19 in the 80-plus age range died from the virus.
At a modelling presentation on Thursday, data indicated that 46 per cent of the 179 deaths during October were among those who were vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
As of yesterday, 88 per cent of people in critical care due to COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated and Minister Adrian Dix said that the unvaccinated are fifty times more likely to go to hospital.
Adjusted for age, unvaccinated individuals are 10 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, the data suggested, and 46 times more likely to die from the disease.
Henry said that without vaccination COVID-19 numbers could be a lot worse – a projected 8,000 new COVID-19 cases everyday and transmission going to over three people.
Currently, confirmed infection is spreading, on average, to just one other person, or fewer, and mostly happening in children between 0 to 17.
From October 26th to November 2nd there were 902 new COVID-19 cases among children 0 to 17; of those, just 3 ended up in hospital, 2 in ICU and no kids died in the past week from COVID-19.
Health Canada continues to review data from Pfizer regarding its vaccine for children aged five to 11. Also, BC’s initiative to vaccinate vulnerable British Columbians with a third dose continues.
