In major setback, number of Pennsylvanians vaccinated against COVID-19 drops by a million overnight
Pennlive ^ | 24 November A.D. 2021 | David Wenner
https://www.pennlive.com/coronaviru...st-covid-19-drops-by-a-million-overnight.html
Pennsylvania on Wednesday said 68.8% of adult residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ? far less than the 73.7% cited on Tuesday and numbers highlighted in news releases for weeks.
A news release gave little explanation beyond saying the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday ?began to rectify their data to match Pennsylvania COVID-19 vaccine data and we anticipate the CDC to go through a similar process with other states across the country.?
In human terms, it equals 1,076,911 adult Pennsylvanians who were believed to be fully vaccinated on Tuesday and who, as it turns out, are not, according to data from health department spokeswoman Maggi Barton.
The number pertains to people 18 or older.
Reached by email late Wednesday afternoon, Barton said the change resulted from removing duplicate vaccination records and correcting data related to first, second and booster doses.
She declined to discuss the public health ramifications.
?We continue to encourage Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated and are encouraged that the seven-day average for daily vaccinations in Pennsylvania is more than 50,000,? Barton wrote.
Dr. John Goldman, a UPMC infectious disease specialist, said the revision amounts to ?a million fewer [fully vaccinated] people than we would prefer.?
?This kind of confirms what we already knew ? there are too many people who are unvaccinated,? he said. ?There are still enough unvaccinated adults that the virus still has an easy time spreading itself.?
With the two most widely used vaccines in Pennsylvania, it takes two doses to reach full protection. It?s now recommended that people who received both doses receive a booster dose after six months.
The state health department in its daily update Wednesday also reported 7,569 new COVID-19 infections, continuing an upward trend just as the holiday season begins and cold weather keeps people indoors where the virus spreads easier.
Pennsylvania hospitals were caring for 3,386 COVID-19 patients as of early Wednesday, another increase.
The health department reported 98 new COVID-19 deaths, raising Pennsylvania?s pandemic toll to 33,101.
