At least 21 US states have seen an increase of at least 10% in the daily average of positive cases of covid-19, according to data Thursday from Johns Hopkins University, showing that the fight against the pandemic is far from over.
In Michigan, hospitals are increasingly overwhelmed and nearing maximum capacity in part due to the influx of new coronavirus cases. State and local officials across the country are trying to avoid a similar situation and are pushing to increase the rate of vaccination among adults, showing continued signs of improvement.
More than 30% of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a Citizen Free Press analysis indicates that some states may vaccinate all willing adults by June.
However, between different rates of vaccine vacillation and the timing of vaccination, the timeline for vaccinating all willing adults varies greatly between states – a growing concern because, in some places, a new wave may have arrived.
“We’ve already beaten this virus three times, but we have to beat it a fourth time,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday, as the state’s infection numbers rise again.
To prevent a new wave, as well as the variants of covid-19 that can be more infectious, health experts continue to recommend the use of masks, social distancing and, above all, vaccination.
“Vaccines have already saved thousands of lives,” Emory University associate executive dean of medicine, Dr. Carlos del Rio, told Citizen Free Press. “We have seen a decrease in mortality in the US even as cases are increasing, and that is because we are vaccinating people.”
Dr. Kawsar Talaat, infectious diseases physician and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Citizen Free Press on Thursday that while CDC data has shown that vaccines cannot completely prevent all covid-19 infections, these cases of “outbreaks” are rare.
Widespread vaccination means that less virus circulates and there are fewer opportunities for exposure.
“That is the goal of achieving herd immunity,” Talaat said. “Because once we get to a point where enough people in the community are vaccinated, if someone develops covid in that community, the people around them are protected and it is much more difficult for that person to transmit the virus to another person and, therefore, the transmission stops.”
While more than 78% of people age 75 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, the percentage of vaccinated people ages 18 to 29 is about 25%, CDC data shows.
And young, relatively healthy people who have had COVID-19 before should still receive a vaccine to prevent reinfection, according to research published Thursday in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
The effect of increased infection rates is being felt locally. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Thursday that while more than 36% of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, hospitalizations are increasing.
“It’s a lagging indicator, so it’s not a direction we want to go,” DeWine said.
“We have to move on,” DeWine said. We know how to get out of this. You know, this is not five months ago, four months ago, we know how to get out of this, and we have the tool to get out of this. We just have to use the tool and we have to use it every day. And that is vaccinating.
States push to stay ahead of rising infections
At the national level, states are competing to vaccinate as many residents as possible.
“We know that these vaccines are actually primarily responsible for the 90% reduction in deaths that we’ve seen during the first 13 weeks of 2021,” West Virginia Covid-19 Czar Dr. Clay Marsh said Thursday.
Aware that transportation can be a barrier for some, Rhode Island announced that free public transportation rides to and from vaccination appointments will be available starting Monday.
“This is a great victory for Rhode Island’s vaccination efforts,” Governor Dan McKee said. “I hope that the free travel makes it easy for everyone who wants to get to a vaccine clinic.”
News from several states was cautiously upbeat, as Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Connecticut and Georgia highlighted increases in vaccination numbers.
New York reported its fewest hospitalizations since Dec. 1 and that more than half of New York adults had received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office.
Citing a 95% drop in the state’s daily death rate, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu announced that a mask-wearing mandate that expires on Friday will not be renewed.
“The lifting of the mandate does not diminish the importance of wearing a mask,” Sununu said, noting that the numbers remain high throughout the state. “We ask that people continue to take steps to protect their own health, the health of their family and friends, and the health of their community.”
Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Side Effects Investigated
As inoculation continues, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains on hold.
A severe form of blood clot in the brain known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) may be related to the vaccine, however the rate of occurrence is rare.
So far, only six cases have been reported in the US out of the roughly 7 million doses administered to date. One person died and another is in critical condition, an FDA official said Tuesday.
One of the six cases involved a 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman, according to the state health department, who recovered after receiving treatment at a hospital. The state, which paused J&J distribution until April 24, said federal oversight of vaccine safety is working as planned.
“The safety procedures built into the vaccination process are working and should inspire confidence in the safety and efficacy of available COVID-19 vaccines,” said Pennsylvania Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam. “I urge people who have appointments scheduled to receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to attend those appointments.”
After the CDC and FDA recommended a hiatus Tuesday, the CDC Immunization Practices Advisory Committee met Wednesday without voting to take any further action, stating that more information is needed. CDC vaccine advisers have scheduled a meeting for April 23 to determine if additional intervention is required.
“Hopefully we will soon have a decision on whether or not we can get back on the right track with this highly effective vaccine,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a congressional hearing on Thursday.
In response, Johnson & Johnson decided to pause vaccines in all of its clinical trials while the company updates the “guide for researchers and participants,” according to a press release published Tuesday afternoon.
Vaccine recipients who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of vaccination should contact their healthcare provider, the CDC and FDA said.
For those who received the J&J vaccine more than a month ago, the risk is “very low,” said CDC Senior Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat during a virtual briefing Tuesday.