As the Fourth of July approaches this Sunday, health officials are concerned about an increased spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 in pockets of the nation where vaccination rates remain low.
President Joe Biden had hoped to get 70% of adult Americans at least partially vaccinated by the holiday, but the White House last week said that the goal will fall short.
Now with Transportation Security Association screening numbers trending upward, including the highest recorded number since March 7, 2020 reported Friday, holiday revelry is expected to be at full-force.
Dr. Jayne Morgan, executive director of Piedmont Healthcare’s Coronavirus Task Force in Atlanta, told CNN that since children under 12 are still not eligible for the vaccine, it makes it even more important for those who are eligible to get vaccinated and reduce the transmission of the delta variant.
“Those mutations have the ability to continue to learn, to become smarter, and eventually evade the immunization status of the rest of us,” Morgan said.
Also in the news:
►The delta variant now makes up 14.5% of cases in California, according to the state’s most recent Department of Health statistics. As of June 19, it accounts for more than 20% of cases in the U.S.
► The U.S. began shipping its first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine abroad Monday, CNN reported; sending 2 million doses to Peru. The shipment comes weeks after the White House announced purchasing half a billion doses to…
