Covid-19 Vaccine UpdateOctober 2021

Delta Variant

The CDC recently announced the urgent need for the COVID-19 vaccination and recommended that everyone in high transmission areas wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated.

A significant increase in new cases has reversed what had been a steady decline since January 2021. There is now an alarming rise in COVID-19 hospitalization rates throughout the US.

The Delta variant is more infectious and is leading to increased transmissibility when compared with other variants, even in some vaccinated individuals.

Delta is currently the predominant variant of the virus in the country. Below is a high-level summary of what CDC scientists have recently learned about the Delta variant.

  • The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.
  • The Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous variants in unvaccinated people.
  • The greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to get infected and transmit the virus.
  • Fully vaccinated people get COVID-19 less often than unvaccinated people.
  • Anyone infected with the Delta variant, including fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections, can transmit the virus to others.
  • The CDC is continuing to assess whether fully vaccinated people with asymptomatic breakthrough infections can also transmit the virus.
  • Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others—however they appear to spread the virus for a shorter time.
  • Vaccines in the US are highly effective, including against the Delta variant.
  • The COVID-19 vaccines approved in the US are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against the Delta variant.
  • The vaccine provides the best protection against serious illness and death.
  • Vaccines are crucial to limiting the spread of the virus and minimizing severe disease. Even with the risk of breakthrough infections being low, there will be thousands of fully vaccinated people who become infected and are able to infect others.
  • Low vaccination rate is causing a rapid surge in cases involving the Delta variant, which also increases the chances of more concerning variants emerging.
  • Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community.
  • High vaccination coverage will reduce the spread of the virus and help prevent new variants from emerging.
  • The CDC recommends that everyone aged 12 years and older get vaccinated as soon as possible.
  • Given what we know about the Delta variant, vaccine effectiveness, and current vaccine coverage, the wearing of masks is needed to reduce the transmission of this variant.
  • As we build on the level of vaccination nationwide, we must also use all the prevention strategies available, including masking indoors in public places, to stop transmission and stop the pandemic.
  • Everyone who is able, including fully vaccinated people, should wear masks in public indoor places in areas of substantial or high transmission.

For more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html