evidence: Since COVID-19 vaccines became widely available in the spring of 2021, there has been a wide gap in deaths between the unvaccinated and vaccinated. Toward the end of 2022, though, data showed that most deaths from COVID-19 were among those who are vaccinated. But that doesn’t mean COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are ineffective. It’s quite the opposite. [...] In an interview, AMA member Elisa Choi, MD, an internal medicine and infectious diseases physician, shared why COVID-19 deaths among vaccinated people are happening and why boosters remain key. [...] "Vaccination against COVID-19 does not completely eliminate the risk of dying from COVID-19 infection, for those who have higher risk for severe COVID, but COVID-19 vaccination is important because it will reduce the risk of death from COVID-19 infection," she explained. "There has been generally lower COVID-19 booster uptake overall in the general population. However, individuals who have had at least one COVID-19 booster dose also tend to be older and have more complicated medical conditions."