The slowdown in the vaccination rate, caused by skepticism among part of the population, and the arrival of the delta variant has raised the number of cases in the United States of covid-19 in the last week, which has set off alarms. between health authorities.
“It is very clear that this is a terrible variant. It has a much greater capacity to be transmitted from person to person, “said Antony Fauci, chief epidemiologist of the White House, in an interview on ABC.
Despite the fact that the United States is the country with the highest number of inoculations in the world, it is on alert for the worrying increase in cases of the delta variant, which already represents more than 50% of infections nationwide and 80% in some states where the percentage of the population vaccinated is low.
Fauci, however, remarked that “the good news is that existing vaccines work well” against this variant.
CASES TRIP IN THE SOUTH
In the last five days, Covid-19 cases have once again exceeded 20,000 a day, something not seen in the US since last May.
Added to this rebound is the slowdown in the rate of inoculation in the country, where 67.5% of adults have at least one of the doses necessary for complete vaccination and 58.7% already have the comprehensive scheme.
The first vaccine was administered in the United States last December, and more than 3 million daily doses were injected during the spring, a figure that now reaches only a few hundred thousand.
This slowdown has led to the goal set by US President Joe Biden, who set July 4 as the date to reach 70% of adults with a dose not being reached.
In addition, authorities have warned of growing regional disparity, with many states in the northeast of the country above that figure, while others, especially in the south, such as Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, do not reach 40%.
Fauci warned, in this sense, of the danger that the country is divided into “one that is vaccinated and protected and another that is unvaccinated and at great risk.”
In Mississippi, where only 33% of the adult population is vaccinated, the delta variant is wreaking havoc.
“Delta has taken us completely. We are seeing many outbreaks, “said Thomas Dobbs, state health director, in an interview with CNN, pointing out the special incidence among the youngest.
BIDEN’S APPLICATIONS
A recent survey by the insurer Kaiser Family Foundation indicated that 20% of adults in the country have doubts about vaccines, of which 6% said they would only get the serum if it is required at work and 16% that you do not plan to be vaccinated.
Aware of these problems, the White House has redoubled its efforts and has indicated that it will go “door to door” if necessary.
The first lady, Jill Biden, has embarked on a tour of these southern states to encourage the vaccination campaign and convince skeptics, who, she said, consider that the virus is not “serious.”
And the president himself, Joe Biden, pleaded last Tuesday to those who still resist being vaccinated against covid-19 to do so in order to contain the delta variant.
“Please get vaccinated now. It works, it’s free, and it’s never been easier or more important, ”Biden said in a speech at the White House.
The United States is the country most affected in the world by the pandemic, with more than 600,000 deaths.
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