Glossary of Terms
- Cases per 100,000
-
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases adjusted for population size.
This metric allows fair comparisons between states with different population totals.
- Deaths per 100,000
-
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 residents.
This is the core severity metric used to compare overall impact across states.
- Vaccination Rate
-
The percentage of a state's population that has completed the recommended
vaccination series for COVID-19.
- Vaccine Effectiveness
-
A measure of how well a vaccine reduces infection, hospitalization, or death
in real-world conditions compared to unvaccinated individuals.
- mRNA Vaccine
-
A vaccine that uses messenger RNA to instruct cells to produce a harmless
piece of the virus, triggering an immune response (e.g., Pfizer and Moderna).
- Protein Subunit Vaccine (Novavax)
- This type contains harmless pieces (proteins) of the virus, along with an adjuvant, to prompt the body to recognize and fight the virus.
- Viral Vector Vaccine
-
A vaccine that uses a modified harmless virus to deliver genetic material
that stimulates immunity against COVID-19.
- Hospitalization Rate
-
The percentage of infected individuals who require hospital care.
This metric indicates disease severity.
- Booster Dose
-
An additional vaccine dose given after the initial series to strengthen
or restore immunity that may have decreased over time.
- Population Normalization
-
The process of adjusting raw totals (like cases or deaths) relative to
population size to enable accurate comparisons.
- Real-World Data
-
Health data collected outside of controlled clinical trials, often from
hospitals, public health departments, and national reporting systems.