Majority of Covid deaths are among vaccinated Americans for the first time — now that 230million have had at least two shots

The majority of Americans dying from Covid are vaccinated for the first time ever.

An analysis of official data found that 58 per cent of Covid deaths in August were in people who were vaccinated or boosted.

Experts caution this is always expected because such a large majority of the population has received at least the standard two-dose regimen.

Those more likely to die from Covid, for example the elderly and immunosuppressed, are also more likely to be vaccinated, further skewing the ratio.

But it is also true that as Covid has mutated, the vaccines have become less effective — with regular boosters required to top-up immunity.

For example, in September last year, 23 per cent of Covid deaths were in vaccinated people, and by February this year, this had risen to 42 per cent.

It comes as the White House offers discounts on groceries to Americans who get the new bivalent Covid booster in a desperate bid to boost uptake of the vaccine.

Official data shows there are around 2,000 Americans dying with Covid every week now compared to around 8,000 this time last year.

At the peak of the pandemic in January 2021, there were more than 20,000 people succumbing to the virus every seven days.

A hugely successful vaccine campaign and repeated waves of infection have helped slash the severity of Covid, along with the weaker Omicron variant.

Some 69 per cent of Americans have been given at least two doses of vaccine, the equivalent of 230million.

 But uptake of the new, bivalent boosters which target Omicron specifically has been sluggish, with just 11 per cent of eligible people taking up the offer.

It comes as White House Coronavirus response coordinator Dr Ashish Jha claimed on Tuesday that ‘essentially every Covid death in America’ could be prevented if Americans get their bivalent booster and get treated for any breakthrough infections.

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