OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 vaccination effectively prevents deaths and severe disease, with acceptable safety profiles in the US. However, vaccine distrust persists due to concerns about adverse reactions, long-term effects, and perceived lack of trustworthy data among the general population and policymakers. We aimed to assess the mortality and its risk following COVID-19 vaccination in the US.

METHODS: Targeted literature searches were conducted using biomedical databases for peer-reviewed publications (Embase® and PubMed®; on 1st April 2024). A total of 11 studies were identified and summarized in this review.

RESULTS: The findings indicate that mortality rates were generally higher among unvaccinated compared to vaccinated individuals. Between 2020 and 2022, the mortality rates for unvaccinated individuals in the overall US ranged from 1.96% to 8.6%, whereas for vaccinated individuals, the range was from 0.9% to 7.0%. Regional data from various states in the US revealed varying trends in COVID-19 mortality rates. Rhode Island Hospital had a small proportion of vaccinated individuals with COVID-19 infections (8.8%), resulting in a low percentage of deaths (0.8%). In Utah, COVID-19 deaths accounted for 4.2% of all vaccinated deaths. In Milwaukee County, younger individuals remained well-protected against death with two doses of vaccines and highly protected with three doses. Contrary to the above findings, in Ohio State, among COVID-19 patients, the mortality rate was significantly higher among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated patients (p=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the value of vaccination in reducing mortality rates due to COVID-19. While there were regional variations and certain exceptions to the general trend, overall, vaccination has proven to be effective in mitigating the risk of mortality associated with COVID-19 in the US.