The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says data from Aug. 2 suggests hospitalization and death among the vaccinated happens less than 0.1 percent of the time — or about 7,500 people out of more than 166 million who have received the shot. But county leaders in New York say a lack of clear data on how many vaccinated people are being hospitalized and killed here limits how local counties are planning their response to surges in cases caused by the virus' highly contagious delta variant.
County leaders say the absence of data makes it more difficult to explain to the public the need to change the local approach for dealing with the virus and to make the case that reluctant people should get vaccinated.
"We need to back that up with the data that proves the point," said Marc Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive and president of the New York County Executives Association.
Last week, the association urged the state health department to add the number of fully vaccinated patients in hospitals to the data it collects and shares with local health departments. So far, no change has been made.
"This data is important to our understanding of the efficacy of the vaccine and will help to guide local decision-making related to COVID-19 prevention strategies," the letter said. "Moreover, should the data show very few breakthrough cases in hospitals, this information can be used by local leaders and health departments to encourage residents to get vaccinated."
The state health department did not immediately respond to the Times Union's questions about why such data isn't available.
Hospitals report hospitalization rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated patients to the state health department. It is up to the state to report that data to the CDC, according to the federal agency's website.
Most states are providing data on hospitalization rates and deaths among the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Molinaro said his county has tried to tabulate its own numbers and looked at trends from Massachusetts to try to understand the potential local impact.
Without data from the state, Albany County scrambled to compile its own information on the rate of infection among those who were vaccinated. Of the 260 new cases identified among residents between Aug. 2 and Aug. 6, 107, or 41 percent, occurred in people who had received their shots, according to data from County Executive Dan McCoy.
But the county does not have the data to tabulate the rates of hospitalizations and deaths among residents who have been vaccinated. Such a stat could be key in helping the public understand the value of vaccinations in minimizing the impact of coronavirus symptoms.
Molinaro said in his county it appears that 75 percent of new cases are still among the unvaccinated.
Schenectady County Manager Rory Fluman said it would be helpful to get the data from the state but he added it is easier for his county to track the data because only one facility, Ellis Hospital, handles hospitalizations for COVID-19. On Wednesday, four people were hospitalized with the virus: Two were vaccinated and two were unvaccinated.
The unvaccinated patients were both in the intensive care unit while the vaccinated patients were not. It's a trend Fluman says he's seen for some time.
The vaccinated, he said, "are less likely to go to the ICU" if they get the delta variant.
Warren County, which has been publishing detailed data since the start of the pandemic last year, has been keeping track itself of the severity of disease in the vaccinated. On Wednesday, Warren County said only six people out of 41,282 vaccinated residents have been hospitalized. Three of those vaccinated residents, who were elderly, died.
For much of the pandemic, the state health department set the guidelines for how local governments build their response to the pandemic. At the time, county officials from around New York complained the health department was heavy-handed. But in June, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the end of the state of emergency to deal with the pandemic. With it, came the end of the governor's emergency powers that gave the health department control of pandemic response.
County officials said the state has offered little guidance since. In another example, the state health department said recently it would not be offering pandemic guidance to schools. On Tuesday, state Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said her agency is "in the process of developing a summary guidance document" to school administrators based on CDC's guidelines and science from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"We've gone from New York making every decision to radio silence," Molinaro said.
Last month, the CDC urged vaccinated and unvaccinated people to return to wearing masks indoors, noting the surge in cases believed to be caused by the delta variant. It reversed CDC policy from May that said vaccinated people no longer had to wear masks indoors.
The New York Times on Tuesday released an analysis of hospitalizations rates and deaths in 40 states and Washington D.C. New York was missing from the list. The data shows a fraction of coronavirus deaths involved vaccinated people — a range of 0.2 percent in Georgia to 5.6 percent in Maine. All but two states — Michigan with 223 victims and Illinois with 151 — recorded fewer than 100 deaths among the vaccinated.
Molinaro said he has spoken with incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul. She left him with the impression there would be greater cooperation between the health department and county governments, he said.
___
(c)2021 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)
Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
