ATLANTA — A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that 90,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths since June were preventable.
According to the study, around 91% of COVID-19 deaths have been among people who were not vaccinated since June.
“From June through September 2021, approximately 90,000 COVID-19 deaths among adults likely would have been prevented with vaccination,” the organization wrote. “Most of these preventable deaths occurred in the last month, well after vaccines became available. In September 2021 alone, approximately 49,000 deaths likely would have been averted if they had chosen to get vaccinated against COVID-19.”
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In Georgia, that number of unvaccinated people who have died of COVID-19 since January 2020 is slightly higher at around 93%, according to a report by the Georgia Department of Health.
At least 10,710 Georgians who were unvaccinated have died across the state since Jan. 2, according to the report. That means that of all of the COVID-19 deaths in Georgia since the pandemic began, 45% were among people who remained unvaccinated after the vaccine became available.
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At least 741 people who were fully vaccinated in Georgia have died of breakthrough COVID-19 cases. Most were over the age of 65, though at least one was just 21 years old, according to his family.
Still, only around 1% of vaccinated people who contract a breakthrough case of COVID-19 die of the virus.
Cases of the virus were significantly higher in Georgians who were unvaccinated (828,072) than vaccinated (63,298).
As of Friday, 23,869 people have died of the virus, 3,869 since Sept. 3.
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Friday also marked the second-deadliest day since the pandemic began, with 189 new deaths reported.
Less than 50% of Georgia’s population is fully vaccinated.