During the past month, hospitalizations related to COVID-19 infection have risen substantially, adding additional strain to health care organizations and clinicians across the nation, according to Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Most who are hospitalized have not received their initial vaccination series and booster. This emphasizes the importance of the vaccines for those who have yet to be vaccinated, LVHN stated in a Dec. 9 press release.

“If you compare where we are to one month ago, hospitalizations are up 43 percent,” said Alex Benjamin, MD, Chief Infection Control and Prevention Officer, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN).

“The current number of hospitalizations is the highest we’ve seen since delta became the dominant variant locally at the beginning of July,” Benjamin said.

With more than 85 percent of those hospitalized statewide known to be unvaccinated, and more children hospitalized at LVHN because of COVID-19 than ever before, it is clear the pandemic continues to primarily affect the unvaccinated, the press release stated.

At LVHN facilities, 76.6 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated and only 0.4 percent are fully vaccinated and have received a booster.

“While hospitalizations are rising, what doesn’t change is that COVID-19 vaccines save lives,” said Benjamin.

In addition to the importance of initial vaccinations, preliminary data from Pfizer and BioNTech have added additional insight into the importance of booster shots. Recent blood test results reported by the companies suggest that people who received three doses of their vaccine were more protected against infection from the newest COVID-19 variant (omicron) than individuals who only received two doses.

The risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19 and requiring hospitalization is significantly higher if you have or are any of the following (especially if you are unvaccinated):

• Cancer

• Chronic kidney disease

• Chronic lung disease (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension)

• Dementia or other neurological conditions

• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes

• Down syndrome

• Heart conditions, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension

• HIV infection

• Liver disease

• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia

• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease

• Undergone a solid organ or blood stem cell transplant

• Overweight or obese

• A tobacco smoker or former smoker

• Immunocompromised

• A substance-use disorder

“At LVHN, we are clearly seeing the worst possible outcomes and the highest volumes of hospitalizations from unvaccinated patients. Getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is without a doubt the best thing you can do to protect yourself and others,” said Timothy Friel, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases for LVHN.

“We are also encouraging everyone who has completed their initial vaccine series to get their boosters,” Friel said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends booster shots for adults 18 and older if they are six months past completing their Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna series or two months after receiving their Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

According to the LVHN press release, COVID-19 will be here for the near future, and although there may be changes in the number of cases and hospitalization rates, the general precautions will remain the same.

In addition to getting fully vaccinated, safety precautions you and your family can take include:

• Wearing well-fitting masks indoors if you have conditions (or take medications) that weaken your immune system or if you are visiting an area with high transmission.

• Wearing well-fitting masks outdoors if you are in a highly populated area in close contact with unvaccinated individuals.

• Practicing hand hygiene and physical distancing.

• Avoiding crowded spaces.