On Monday, the United States achieved President Joe Biden's goal of getting 70% of adults vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, approximately a month after the initially set deadline of July 4. This comes as hospitalization cases are reaching levels similar to those recorded last summer. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the primary public health agency in the U.S., shows that 60.6% of adults and 49.7% of the total population have been fully vaccinated.
The Biden administration initially set Independence Day as the target date to reach this goal and declare victory over the pandemic. However, declining vaccination rates, particularly in traditionally conservative areas in the South and Midwest, and among groups such as young people, low-income individuals, and racial minorities, led to missing this deadline. This delay, coupled with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, has caused an increase in the average daily infection rate, which currently exceeds 70,000 cases and is rising rapidly. Hospitals across the country are admitting an average of 6,200 COVID patients daily, with over 300 deaths due to the illness.
Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic coordinator, told reporters, "These cases are concentrated in communities with low vaccination rates." He added, "One in three cases nationwide was reported in Florida and Texas last week." However, in recent weeks, vaccination rates in heavily affected areas due to the latest COVID wave driven by the highly contagious Delta variant have increased. Zients noted that the eight most affected states saw a 171% increase in daily vaccinations compared to the rate recorded three weeks ago, particularly in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The private sector is also pushing in this direction. Disney and Walmart, two of the largest employers in the private sector in the United States, announced incentives for vaccination or made it mandatory for employees. Biden took a series of measures on Thursday to boost vaccinations in the U.S., including requiring millions of federal employees to either get vaccinated or wear masks continuously and undergo regular testing.
Despite the Delta variant posing a threat, vaccines still allow most individuals who receive them to avoid severe illness from COVID-19. According to health authorities, vaccinated individuals are eight times less likely to contract the disease and 25 times less likely to be hospitalized or die. In Tennessee, 97% of hospital admissions and 98% of COVID-related deaths in July were among unvaccinated individuals.
In areas deemed high-risk for infections, the CDC has again recommended continued mask-wearing, even for vaccinated individuals. On Monday, eight counties in the San Francisco Bay Area reinstated mask mandates, similar to what occurred in Louisiana. Louisiana's Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, stated, "Clearly, current restrictions alone are not working," adding that the action taken was in response to requests from health professionals. Federal health authorities are discussing whether a third dose is necessary for certain groups, such as the immunocompromised.
