Olivia Rodrigo supports the White House vaccination campaign 2:36
(CNN) -
With COVID-19 cases on the rise in 49 US states as vaccination rates lag, turning the tide will require Americans to "do something dramatic to protect our country." said an expert.
"We are seeing this because the public misinterpreted the CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people as 'Now we can do whatever we want. Even if we are not vaccinated, we can now behave as if we are vaccinated,'" the CNN medical analyst said, Dr. Leana Wen to Anderson Cooper on Thursday.
US is 'wasting time' in vaccination race as delta variant becomes ubiquitous, says expert
Covid-19 cases are increasing in nearly every state with new cases averaging at least 10% higher than a week ago, and 38 states are experiencing an increase of at least 50%, according to Johns University data. Hopkins.
Many experts have attributed the increase to slowing vaccination rates with only 48.3% of the US population fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ).
In Arkansas, where only 35.1% of the population is fully vaccinated, the delta variant has had a major impact, said University of Arkansas Chancellor of Medical Sciences Cam Patterson, adding that hospitals are "full in right now and cases are doubling every 10 days. "
Biden warns unvaccinated about delta variant 1:51
And emergency response services in the state say they are receiving a record number of calls due to the rise of the virus, according to CNN affiliate KATV.
advertising
Due to the delta variant, these countries have resumed biosecurity measures
In Missouri, a local health department has asked the state to fund staffing and a location for a covid-19 care center to be managed to increase severe cases, according to a statement from the Springfield County Health Department. -Greene.
There is still hope of avoiding a spike in the fall, said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, if enough people are vaccinated.
But if the trend in increasing cases continues, cities and states could implement restrictions for unvaccinated travelers, he told ABC's Good Morning America.
"I think now is the time to redouble our vaccination efforts and our other prevention interventions," he said.
"We still have to send the same messages that we sent last year," Walensky said.
In an interview on NBC Nightly News, Walensky said that with increasing case rates, declining vaccination rates, and the spread of the delta variant, things could continue to get worse in the pandemic.
In California, Los Angeles County, the nation's largest, with a population of 10 million people, has responded to an increase in cases and hospitalizations by reinstating a mask-wearing mandate effective Saturday.
"Now is the time for locals to follow the example of Los Angeles County," Wen said.
This is the door-to-door strategy of the White House 1:04
Colleges and universities put a vaccination requirement
Some companies and hospitals have already required their employees to be vaccinated, and now some universities are also implementing the requirements.
Rhode Island has become the first state where all public and private colleges and universities require their students to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus this fall, Governor Dan McKee announced this week.
Rhode Island health director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said in the state's news release that vaccines are "key" to a successful academic year.
What Vaccinated People Should Know About Covid-19 Exposure, Testing, and More
"We can't let our guard down now," Scott said.
"The delta variant is now circulating in parts of the country where many of our students live. The good news is that vaccines provide protection against this variant. Anyone who has not been vaccinated should get vaccinated today."
And the University of California, the nation's largest public university system, said it plans to require all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated before returning to campuses in the fall.
Those not exempt from receiving the vaccine will not be able to attend classes, activities and accommodations in person, UC officials announced Thursday.
Experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci have said that local vaccine mandates could be helpful in protecting the US from a further surge.
And those mandates could become easier for private companies as vaccines advance.
Some states seek to block covid-19 vaccine requirements in public schools
An average of about 343,000 people are vaccinated each day, a rate less than a quarter of the rate two months ago, when more than 1.3 million people were vaccinated each day.
"Getting full approval, getting out of the emergency use authorization and getting full approval is something that will clear up any legal questions that private employers may have," the former US Secretary of Health and Human Services said Tuesday. Kathleen Sebelius.
With so many people doubting or resisting the vaccine and vaccination rates falling, restrictions at work and school may be key in motivating the public to reach the threshold necessary to slow or stop the spread, experts have said.
Does the vaccine protect you against the delta variant of covid-19?
0:59
Disinformation costs lives
Meanwhile, the key reasons for the hesitation around covid-19 vaccines are mistrust and misinformation, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey.
Nearly half of people who said they will "definitely" or "probably" not get vaccinated against COVID-19 cited distrust of vaccines as a reason not to, according to the most recent data, released Wednesday and based on the Survey responses from June 23 to July 5.
That's an increase from about a month ago, when 46% of people who said they didn't plan to get vaccinated gave the same reason.
The White House prepares to combat misinformation about covid-19 vaccines
And in the latest survey, more than half of people said they would "definitely" or "probably" not get the COVID-19 vaccine because they were concerned about side effects, compared to 49% about a month ago.
"Millions of people do not have access to accurate information right now, because on social media platforms and other technology platforms we are seeing a rampant spread of misinformation, which is costing people's lives," said Dr. Vivek Murthy , US Director of Health, to CNN's Jake Tapper.
Much of that information often comes from well-meaning people, he added, saying they believe they are spreading useful information, but often misinformation spreads faster than accurate information.
Conversations in social circles can be a big part of the solution, he added.
"It's about peers talking to peers," Murthy said during a Stanford University panel Thursday.
"Remember, all these conversations start with listening ... so try to understand where someone is coming from, why they may be worried. It may not always be what you think."
CNN's Gregory Lemos, Carma Hassan, Naomi Thomas, Lauren Mascarenhas, Jacqueline Howard, Deidre McPhillips, Virginia Langmaid, and Sarah Braner contributed to this report.
covid-19 vaccine
