How much of a threat does the COVID Delta variant pose for Alabama?
A new variant of the COVID-19 virus, also known as the Delta variant, is beginning to take root in the South, and it could be cause for concern for Alabama. The variant is believed to be more transmissible, associated with more severe disease and more likely to land those infected in the hospital, White House Vaccinations Coordinator Dr. Bechara Choucair said in a Facebook Live with AL.com. Weve detected the Delta variant in 60 countries, Choucair said. The good news though is that we know that a two-dose mRNA vaccine like the Pfizer and the Moderna  if you get both doses  those appear to be effective against this variant.  The Delta variant also poses a greater risk to young people, who arent getting vaccinated as quickly as other age groups. In Alabama, just 21.6% of 18 to 29-year-olds have gotten their first shot. What were seeing with the Delta variant out of the U.K. is significant transmissibility in 12 to 20 years olds, Choucair said. So whether youre young, whether youre older, if youre eligible for the vaccine  and in this country, that means anybody whos 12 and up  please get vaccinated. Its never been easier to get vaccinated.  Currently, President Joe Biden has stated that the countrys goal is to have 70% of eligible Americans vaccinated by the Fourth of July. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, about 35% of people in Alabama have received at least one dose. We want to make sure that were working with state government, with local government, with health systems, with faith-based organizations, not-for-profit organizations, to make sure that were making it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated, Choucair said. The good news is that new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are declining across the country. According to Choucair, people ages 65 and older used to make up 80% of COVID-19 related deaths in the U.S. Now that over 85% of them have received at least one dose, there has been an 80% reduction in deaths for people ages 65 and older. We know vaccines work, Choucair said. Were seeing those steep declines across the country, which is great, but the fact remains: If youre fully vaccinated, youre protected. If youre not fully vaccinated, youre not protected. And we want to make sure that were protecting as many people as possible, particularly as were starting to see this rise and the Delta variant across the country.