The vast majority of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are occurring among people who are unvaccinated, White House officials stated Thursday.
"Virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in United States are now occurring among unvaccinated individuals," White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said at a press briefing. "And to be clear, there will likely continue to be an increase in cases among unvaccinated individuals and in communities with low vaccination rates, particularly given the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant."
Currently, the U.S. has administered nearly 333 million vaccines, with 158.6 million Americans being fully vaccinated, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. To be fully vaccinated means that an individual has received both doses of either vaccines developed by Pfizer
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that the current generation of COVID vaccines are proving to be effective in preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death from the Delta variant, which first emerged in India and has become the dominant variant in the U.S.
Still, the nation is increasingly seeing outbreaks in communities with low immunization rates, Walensky highlights, with the nation seven-day moving average of new cases up 11% week-on-week to 13,900 daily infections. Walensky said the Delta variant now accounts for about 80% of all new cases in parts of the Midwest and Upper Mountain states.
"Although we expected the Delta variant to become the dominant strain in the United States, this rapid rise is troubling," Walensky said. "Our authorized vaccines prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death from the Delta variant, and results - these results have been observed not just here in the United States, but in other countries as well."
"Widespread vaccination is what will truly turn the corner on this pandemic," Walensky added.
The White House COVID-19 Response Team's remarks came as President Joe Biden outlined a more strategic approach to the administration's national vaccine effort, including a more community focused campaign.
