LINCOLN- Cases continue to fall in both the country and the state, but vaccinations and deaths are still a large focus.

The 35 Nebraskans who were added last week to the state’s toll of confirmed or probable COVID-19 deaths brought the total for the 2½-year pandemic to 4,542. For perspective, that’s over 100 times the 44 people who died in the state’s last pre-pandemic flu season.

Many experts say that the majority of these deaths were preventable, in fact, Dr. James Lawler of UNMC said "Almost all of them."

“If we had everyone fully vaccinated and were taking precautions (like indoor masking) to reduce spread in high-risk environments, we would not be seeing very many deaths at all," he went on to say.

Vaccination rates were never very strong, and they’ve only lagged further in the past year as additional boosters have been recommended.

While 76% of Nebraska adults ultimately got their original vaccination series, fewer than half have received even one booster shot. Even among the most vulnerable age 65 and over population, while some 94% received initial vaccinations, only 74% received a booster, and only 34% got the recommended first two boosters. The U.S. figures are even more dismal.

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