Despite the widespread availability of effective vaccines in the United States since the beginning of the year, COVID-19 killed more Americans in 2021 than in the first year of the pandemic. The deadliest month of the pandemic to date was January 2021, when just under 100,000 Americans lost their lives to COVID.

Over the US summer period, monthly death rates dropped to one-tenth in June and July but have since picked up as health officials urge the unvaccinated to get the jab and boosters in the hopes of avoiding lockdowns and the record high case numbers being seen in Europe

US COVID-19 deaths: 2020 and 2021

US COVID-19 deaths: 2020 and 2021
Source: USSC