What is the difference in hospitalization rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals for covid-19?
Executive summary
Available reporting consistently states that vaccinated people are substantially less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than the unvaccinated, and public-health authorities continue to say vaccination “remains the best protection against serious illness and death” [1] [2]. Studies and surveillance cited in the sources show very high proportions of hospitalized children were unvaccinated (for example, a U.S. preschool cohort study found 88.4% of hospitalized children were unvaccinated) and state-level/CDC reporting links vaccination uptake to lower hospitalization burden [3] [4].
1. What the data in our sources actually say about hospitalization differences
Clinical and public-health reports in the provided materials describe large disparities: a published study of U.S. preschool hospitalizations found that 88.4% of the children hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated, and only 4.5% had completed a primary vaccine series [3]. State and federal public-health statements — such as the New York State Department of Health and Nebraska Medicine guidance — explicitly say vaccination “remains the best protection” against COVID-19 hospitalization and death, and they point to thousands of hospitalizations in recent seasons to underline that point [1] [2].
2. How sources frame magnitude and risk — percentages, odds, and interpretation
The sources report proportion-based findings (percent of hospitalized patients who were unvaccinated) rather than single, universal hospitalization-rate ratios. For the preschool cohort, the fact that 88.4% of hospitalized children were unvaccinated implies a markedly higher hospitalization rate among unvaccinated children in that sample, but the article does not provide a direct risk ratio or per‑100,000 hospitalization rates comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated groups [3]. CDC modeling and season outlooks discuss how lower vaccine uptake or reduced effectiveness could increase hospitalization rates overall, especially among older adults and those with comorbidities [4].
3. Age and risk-group differences matter — children vs. older adults
Reporting separates age groups. The preschool study documents the concentration of hospitalized children who were unvaccinated (88.4%) and notes that few hospitalized children had completed vaccination (4.5%), which underscores vaccine impact in that cohort [3]. Conversely, public-health briefs and CDC outlooks emphasize adults 65+ and people with underlying conditions as the highest hospitalization and death risk groups and note targeted vaccination strategies for these groups in modeling [1] [4].
4. Limitations and what the sources do not give us
Available sources do not include a single, nationally representative rate that directly states “vaccinated X per 100,000 vs unvaccinated Y per 100,000” for all ages or for adults in 2024–25; they provide cohort percentages, statements from health departments, and modelling that infer reduced hospitalization among vaccinated people but stop short of a universal numeric risk-ratio in the materials provided [3] [4] [1]. Where hospitalization counts are cited (for example, New York’s “over 50,000 New Yorkers ended up in the hospital related to COVID” in a prior season), the sources do not pair those totals with vaccination-status denominators to produce comparative rates in the current materials [1].
5. Competing perspectives and how agencies present uncertainty
Public-health agencies in the sources present vaccination as the primary protection against severe disease while acknowledging uncertainties: the CDC modeling notes that future hospitalization rates depend on vaccine uptake, vaccine effectiveness, previous waves, and possible new variants, and the modeling scenarios assume specific uptake patterns for high‑risk groups [4]. The preschool study authors and news outlets emphasize the importance of greater vaccine uptake while acknowledging demographic and data limitations in their samples [3] [5].
6. Practical takeaway for readers and policymakers
The consistent, corroborated message across state health departments, hospital guidance, CDC modelling and cohort research in these sources is that vaccination substantially reduces the share of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and protects against severe outcomes; evidence cited includes cohort data showing the overwhelming majority of hospitalized children were unvaccinated and ongoing recommendations to vaccinate high‑risk adults [3] [1] [2] [4]. For precise, current rate comparisons (e.g., hospitalization per 100,000 vaccinated vs. unvaccinated in a defined period), consult the CDC or state public‑health surveillance reports directly — those specific rate calculations are not provided in the materials we reviewed (not found in current reporting).
Sources cited: New York State Department of Health press release [1]; CIDRAP summary of U.S. preschool cohort study [3]; CDC 2025–26 Respiratory Disease Season Outlook [4]; Nebraska Medicine guidance [2]; related press reporting contextualizing vaccination benefits [5].