Data: CDC; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios
Of the 164 million vaccinated Americans, less than 0.1% have been infected with the coronavirus, and 0.001% have died, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: While "breakthrough cases" have been getting some media attention, the low numbers show that the pandemic is mostly a threat for the unvaccinated population.
- "[V]accination is the most important strategy to prevent severe illness and death," the CDC noted in a recent report.
- Leaked CDC presentation slides showed that unpublished research indicated that the Delta variant causes more severe illness in unvaccinated people and spreads as easily as chickenpox.
By the numbers: More than 99% of those vaccinated have not been infected, per the CDC.
- Only 0.004% have been hospitalized from the virus.
The big picture: More than half of the entire American population are not yet fully vaccinated, CDC data shows. Nationwide, the number of cases has been increasing since around late June.