The US passed one million deaths from covid-19 on 4 May 2022, data from NBC News showed.1 This is the world’s highest reported death toll, although deaths are thought to be undercounted. Per capita, Peru has the highest death toll.
Reports of US deaths were slightly lower from other sources: Johns Hopkins University reported 996?541, the New York Times 995?715, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 994?187.234
The CDC said that more than 80% of US deaths had been among unvaccinated people. However, during the omicron surge in January and February this year some 42% of deaths were among vaccinated people. Most were over 75s who had been vaccinated but had not received boosters.5
In the past two weeks cases of covid-19 have increased by 54% and hospital admissions by 19%, but deaths have dropped by 3%.3 The rise in cases is thought to be caused by the omicron subvariants BA.2.12.1 and BA.2.12.
On 3 May the CDC reinstated its recommendation for people to wear masks on planes, trains, and buses despite a ruling on 18 April by a Trump appointed judge that struck down the CDC’s mask mandate.6
From 5 May the Food and Drug Administration has also introduced limits on use of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine because of “the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, a syndrome of rare and potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets with onset of symptoms approximately one to two weeks” after vaccine administration. Sixty such cases have been confirmed in the US, including nine deaths.7
The FDA now recommends that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be used only by people who have had an anaphylactic reaction to the mRNA vaccine, those with “personal concerns” about mRNA vaccines, and people who would otherwise remain unvaccinated because of difficulty getting mRNA vaccines.
Although 70% of the US population aged over 5 is fully vaccinated, vaccines for young children are still not available. Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have asked the FDA for approval of vaccines for children under 5. An FDA panel will consider children’s vaccines next month.
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