After much concern about the vaccination rate among NFL players, it appears as if the league has made significant progress on that front.
NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills told reporters on a conference call Thursday that teams are at “almost 93% vaccination with players and 99% with staff members.”
He added it was a “remarkable” number and that the NFL facilities are “safest in our communities.”
Prior to the start of training camp, it was reported that only 13 of the 32 teams in the league were above 85% vaccinated.
The NFL issued a memo outlining disciplinary actions, such as forfeiture of games if a team cannot reschedule due to a COVID outbreak, to incentivize players to receive the vaccine.
That plan seems to have worked, although there have still been COVID cases across the league, including breakthrough cases in vaccinated players and staff.
Sills said that between Aug. 1 through Aug. 21 there were 68 confirmed positive OVID tests out of 7.190 individuals tested — a 0.95% incidence rate.
The incidence rate among unvaccinated positive tests was seven times higher, 2.2%, compared to vaccinated positive cases — 0.3%.
On Thursday, the Titans had nine players and coaches who had tested positive for COVID-19, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is vaccinated.
Sills said the NFL has already implemented “enhanced mitigation protocol” targeting teams with COVID clusters such as the Titans and working with the NFLPA on daily testing, masking and distancing guidelines.
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