INTERESTING: How much good do the COVID vaccines do?

From the data tables it's evident that the vaccines are modestly effective in curbing both hospitalizations and deaths, at least in the short term, and particularly for those with underlying comorbidities as evidenced by the data for the elderly (60 & up) population where underlying comorbidities are much more likely.

The long term is still to be determined, however recent news stories about 'breakthrough' infections in the vaccinated population suggest that COVID vaccination effectiveness may not be long term (therefore booster shots). I've even seen recent suggestions that vaccination may actually increase the risk of future infection, although that seems to be just speculation.

I've seen no data that vaccination of the preschool and school age population has any effect whatsoever. The chart data tends to support that conclusion.

The comments (and I haven't read them all) seem to be mostly supportive of my view that vaccination at best is modestly effective in damping the severity of the disease in populations where immunity is compromised. Here are two of many:

(disqusdfp): Left unsaid in all of this is what death and hospitalizations would look like were the CDC and other assorted clowns not actively discouraging and even banning treatments known to be effective. Vaccines simply are not needed if good treatments are available; this is why (IMHO) after close to 2 years, there are still no fully approved treatments - the CDC wishes not to weaken the vaccination narrative. Here in Silicon Valley, even the monoclonal antibody treatment would be denied me by my medical provider, despite that as a geezer I fall into the high risk category allowed access to it. And don't let me get started on Ivermectin; we're still waiting for the "urgent studies" on that, too. My deepest disappointment is that the medical establishment is knuckling under to all this, patient wellbeing be damned. My respect for doctors is at an all-time low.

(Brandoch_Daha): I think there's no real way to tell.
Statistics, especially from the government, are so skewed (not to mention screwed) by political influence that a clear picture is impossible.
My Dad (a corporate controller) used to say that "Figures don't lie, but liars can figure."
Or put another way: "Torture numbers long enough, and they'll confess to anything."

Read it all, including some comments, and make up your own mind.