New data shows that most people dying from COVID-19 in North Carolina are unvaccinated. This comes as hospitalizations are hitting a record high in the state.
According to state officials, unvaccinated people were 15 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than vaccinated people during the four-week period ending August 21.
The data is from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' weekly respiratory surveillance report.
It also shows that unvaccinated people were four times more likely to catch the virus than vaccinated residents. The results were even starker for teenagers — unvaccinated 12 to 17-year-olds were six times more likely to get COVID-19 than vaccinated people of the same age.
The report comes as North Carolina is seeing the fastest jump in cases and hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic.
The numbers have prompted Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen to release a statement urging people to get vaccinated before it's too late. She points out that the vaccines have been through rigorous clinical trials and meet scientific standards.
COVID-19 vaccines remain widely available in North Carolina, and $100 Summer Cards are offered to anyone 18 and older who gets their first dose at a participating location through Tuesday, August 31.