Covid is spreading across the US and fewer people are being vaccinated

New York- As coronavirus cases decline and states lift restrictions, the potential final phase of the US campaign to defeat Covid-19 becomes increasingly complex, as one variable gains traction and lotteries and other incentives fail. Persuading some Americans to vaccinate against the disease.

“The last half, the last mile, and the last quarter of a mile always requires more effort,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.

As two of the states hardest hit by the pandemic, California and New York, celebrate their reopenings this week with fireworks and multi-million dollar raffles, hospitalizations in parts of Missouri are on the rise and cases are rising exponentially in Texas, making clear. Challenges facing the nation in the summer.

One major concern is the delta variant that originated in India, which is highly contagious and potentially more dangerous. Although health authorities have said vaccines are effective against it, the fear is that it will cause outbreaks in states with low vaccination rates.

The delta variant increased from 2.7% of all cases in May to 9.7% this month, said Dr. Rochelle Wallinsky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a call with governors on Monday, according to information provided by the Department of Health. Washington Governor’s Office.

Meanwhile, countries are holding focus groups to better understand who is refusing to be vaccinated, why they are doing so, and how to convince them that getting vaccinated is the right thing to do.

“It’s a race between vaccinating people and current or future variables,” said Dr. Lee Norman, the Kansas Health Secretary.

The average number of deaths and cases per day has fallen by 90% or more in the United States since the winter. But the picture is different.

In Texas, the moving average of new infections rose from about 1,000 a day on May 31 to nearly 2,000 this week.

A large swathe of Missouri is seeing a sharp rise in cases and hospitalizations after tourists, eager to get out after being locked up for a year, head to popular destinations like Branson and the Lake of the Ozarks. Health authorities said more than 200 people have been hospitalized with the virus in the southwestern part of the state, nearly double the number reported in early May. The number of patients in intensive care in the region has tripled.

Health experts have cited two factors driving the recovery in that area: the more prevalent delta variant and the population’s reluctance to vaccinate.

The United States is set to miss President Joe Biden’s goal of 70% of American adults to have had at least one dose of the vaccine by July 4. The figure is currently 65%.