The US death toll hit 900,000 on Friday, not even two months after passing 800,000, in part due to the more contagious omicron variant.
The grim milestone comes after more than 13 months of a vaccination drive that has been undermined by misinformation, despite the proven safety and effectiveness of the shots at preventing serious illness and death. The increased spread of the omicron variant, despite a lower rate of severe illness, has contributed to the high number of deaths.
Most of the deaths happened after vaccine authorization. Less than 64% of the US population is fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The US has the highest toll out of any country, and the real number of deaths direclty or indirectly related to the coronavirus are estimated to be much higher.
When the vaccine was rolled out in December 2020, the death toll was at about 300,000. It surpassed 600,000 by July 2021 and 700,000 on Oct. 1. On Dec. 14, it reached 800,000.
COVID-19 has become one of the top three causes of death in America, behind the big two — heart disease and cancer.
