Can I drink alcohol if I get vaccinated against covid-19?
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(CNN) -
Since vaccination rates are not yet at the threshold necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19, most Americans who are not protected will likely contract the rapidly spreading delta variant, one expert said.
"And for most people who contract this delta variant, it will be the most serious virus they ever contract in terms of the risk of having to admit them to the hospital," said Dr Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of the Drug Administration. and US Food during the Trump administration, he told CBS on Sunday "Face the Nation."
Delta is the most transmissible variant of the new coronavirus yet, Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Chief Health Officer Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN, and experts say it is exacerbating the increase in cases among unvaccinated Americans.
In Los Angeles County, the rate of new COVID-19 cases has increased 300% since July 4, the county health department said.
Hospitalizations for covid-19 have more than doubled from the previous month.
And 48 states are now seeing an increase in the number of new cases at least 10% higher than the previous week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
That's concerning, Murthy said, because often a spike in cases and hospitalizations is followed by a spike in COVID-19 deaths.
Experts are particularly concerned about unvaccinated populations, with 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths occurring among people who have not been vaccinated, Murthy said.
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The only way to stop the increase in cases is vaccination, Murthy told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday.
The fight to increase vaccines is passing into the hands of local leaders, Murthy said.
Springfield, Missouri Mayor Ken McClure told "Face the Nation" that he hopes community leaders will convince people to get vaccinated before it's too late.
"So it all depends on community leaders, community institutions that people trust saying to get vaccinated. That's the only way we're going to get out of this," McClure said.
Israel reports an increase in infections despite the fact that a large part of the population is vaccinated.
This is the reason
Delta variant sends younger people to hospital
Delta variant cases doubled in Texas 3:17
The delta variant could spread faster than other coronavirus strains because it makes more copies of itself within our bodies at a faster rate, the researchers found.
In research published online, scientists examining 62 cases of the delta variant found viral loads roughly 1,260 times higher than those found in 63 cases of the epidemic wave early in 2020.
The delta variant is also sending younger, previously healthy people to hospitals - the vast majority of whom have not been vaccinated, say doctors in several states experiencing surges.
"This year's virus is not last year's virus," said Dr. Catherine O'Neal, an infectious disease specialist at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
"It is attacking the 40-year-olds. It is attacking our young parents and grandparents. And it is taking over our children," O'Neal said.
He said his covid-19 unit now has more patients in their 20s than before in the pandemic.
Faced with rampant misinformation about the virus and the vaccine, McClure urged people to use reliable sources and "make sure people have good information."
Disinformation "takes away our freedom," Murthy said, adding that inaccurate information inhibits people's power to make informed decisions about the health of themselves and their families.
The White House pressures technology companies to act against the "12 of disinformation" of the covid-19
And with the disproportionately greater impact of the virus among people who are not vaccinated, the consequences can be severe.
"All this misinformation out there has a real cost that can be measured in lives lost, and that's tragic," Murthy said.
Disinformation on the web is killing us, says Biden 1:01
Children under the age of 12 may not get vaccinated soon
One important reason adults should get vaccinated, experts have said, is to protect children who are not yet eligible for the vaccine.
Currently, covid-19 vaccines are only licensed for those 12 and older, but studies are underway to test the safety and efficacy of vaccinating younger children.
On Saturday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, shed light on the timeline for approving covid-19 vaccines for children under 12 years of age.
Right now, he told CNN's Jim Acosta, scientists are conducting studies in decreasing age groups, with children 12 to 9 years, then 9 to 6, 6 to 2, and then 2 to 6 years. months.
"So far, things are looking good, but the final decision will be up to the FDA. And I imagine that probably won't happen until we get into the winter well, towards the end of this year," Fauci said.
Children could pay the consequences for covid-19 if the elderly do not get vaccinated
Only 11 people showed up for a vaccination event that lasted three hours
In Alabama, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the US, a vaccination booth that ran for three and a half hours at a church outside of Birmingham on Sunday showed little progress - only 11 people showed up.
MedsPlus, the on-site healthcare provider, has been running vaccination booths in churches, shopping malls, and communities, hoping to partner with local leaders people trust.
But according to data from the Alabama Department of Public Health, the number of vaccines administered in the state has dropped sharply from the peak in March and April.
According to CDC data, only 33.7% of Alabama residents were fully vaccinated as of Sunday.
Since April 1, 529 people have died in Alabama from COVID-19.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, about 96% of them were not vaccinated.
Shuntasia Williams, 15, said she received her first dose of vaccine at the event because she wants to be protected when school starts next month.
She told CNN that she is proud of her group of friends for being vaccinated, but has also seen rumors online that her peers are getting sick.
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"I saw someone who said their arm was swollen so much that they had to amputate it," Williams said.
"That's the craziest thing. One thing about vaccines is they start to spread rumors about it, but you have to go out there and see for yourself."
Williams said these are not first-hand accounts from people, but rather misleading posts and articles that continue to be shared.
"Trust me. I'm 15 years old. Go get vaccinated. It's not shocking. My arm is not swollen. They are not going to amputate my arm. In fact, I feel very good," he said.
CNN's Aya Elamroussi, Holly Yan, Claudia Dominguez, Ben Tinker, and Natasha Chen contributed to this report.
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