UI Study: Covid-19 Death Risk 28 Times Higher Without Vaccination

The government continues to encourage the public to receive the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, also known as the booster shot. This is crucial to mitigate the severity of the infection should one contract COVID-19.

This is further supported by a study conducted by researchers from the Pandemic Team of the Faculty of Public Health (FKM), Universitas Indonesia (UI). The researchers found that the risk of death from COVID-19 is lower among those who have received a booster vaccine.

The study found that the highest death rate from COVID-19 was among those who had not received any vaccination at all. A recorded 2.8% of COVID-19 patients who died were unvaccinated.

Conversely, the lowest COVID-19 death rate was among those who had received a booster shot, at 0.1%. "Individuals who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine are 28 times more likely to die than those who have received a booster shot," according to the study, which was cited on Friday, July 22, 2022.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death rate among those who received the first dose was 1.5%. The death rate for those who received the second dose (fully vaccinated) was 0.6%.

Based on age, the highest death rate was among those aged 60 and above who were unvaccinated, at 9.3%. The death rate among elderly individuals who received a booster shot was 0.4%.

COVID-19 mortality is significantly higher among the elderly. However, the study also found that death can also affect the 18-59 age group who have not been vaccinated.

A recorded 2.1% of the 18-59 age group died from COVID-19 due to lack of vaccination. The death rate in this age group among those who received a booster shot was 0%.

"Elderly individuals who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine are 23 times more likely to die than elderly individuals who have received a booster shot," according to the report.

Within age groups, the COVID-19 death rate among those aged 60 and above (elderly) reached 4%, the highest among all age groups. The 5-34 age group had the lowest death rate at 0.1%.

This study was conducted from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022, using the Ministry of Health's New All Record (NAR) application. Vaccination status was obtained from the BPJS Kesehatan (Healthcare Financing Agency) Pcare system.

Based on data combined using the National Identity Number (NIK), there were 1,792,360 recorded COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 7,785 data points (0.4%) had age errors, and 1,107 data points (0.06%) were missing status information. The researchers involved in the study were Pandu Riono, Iwan Ariawan, Muhammad N. Farid, Hafizah Jusril, and Wiji Wahyuningsih.