COVID-19, Vaccination Rates, Infection Rates, Death Rates, and Behavioral Interventions: It’s Time to Cut the Bull!

Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines was assessed by comparing infection and death rates in the eight most- and eight least-fully-vaccinated German states. Infection and death rates were measured on three dates in fall 2021. Less-vaccinated states had substantially higher infection and death rates than more-vaccinated states. These effects occurred in the context of a time main effect and a vaccination rate x time interaction: Infection and death rates increased substantially over time, particularly in less-vaccinated states. These increased infection and death rates over time may be due to Germany having few measures other than vaccination in place for controlling the spread of COVID-19, despite the high community prevalence of the Delta variant. The results are discussed in the context of anti-vax rhetoric, policy, strategies for quelling the pandemic, the lack of a synergistic research relationship between the social and medical sciences, and issues related to vaccine equity.