As the Delta variant of Covid continues to find increased footing in America, the mRNA vaccines provided by Moderna and Pfizer have proven to be a strong enough barrier to bat it away in the vast majority of vaccinated patients.
The problem is vaccination rates continue to lag, particularly in Louisiana, according to Louisiana State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter.
Kanter says the Delta variant is around 60% more transmissible, is more virulent, and is more likely to cause hospitalization, but that it still appears to be an excellent match for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines available in the U.S.
“I think we all hope that this variant proves to be not a big deal, but it is looking like it’s rather significant,” Kanter told WWL Radio.
Kanter says the Delta variant will likely be the dominant strain of Covid in Louisiana and in the U.S. overall in the next month. He says with the rise of Delta, he expects to see a rise in cases but hopes the numbers of hospitalization and death remain down, and the best bulwark against infection remains continuing to encourage people to get vaccinated.
“Just about 38% or so of the population has at least initiated the vaccination series, and that’s a lot of people but it’s still less than half,” Kanter said.
He also urged that people not buy into the belief that the vaccinations are an insidious government plot meant to control its citizens, and that the evolution of information about Covid is simply a biproduct of continued study and research.
“People should not confuse scientists being unable to predict the future with a ‘scare tactic.’ People do the best job they can with the best information they have available,” he said.
Kanter says people running the errands involved in their daily lives are still putting themselves and those around them at risk if they aren’t vaccinated, and for those people, masks are still being recommended. And that even though case numbers are down, the risk hasn’t subsided.
“We’re blessed in the U.S. with vaccines that remain highly efficacious against this Delta variant, and that’s good news. If you yourself is vaccinated, I think you can be reasonably comfortable that you’re safe and not likely to pass Covid on to somebody else.”
