Places with higher vaccination rates are keeping hospitalizations and deaths in check
As the Delta variant sweeps the globe, scientists are learning more about why new versions of the coronavirus spread faster, and what this could mean for vaccine efforts. The spike protein, which gives the virus its unmistakable shape, may hold the key. Illustration: Nick Collingwood/WSJ
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The Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus, the dominant strain in the U.S., is driving up cases in particular where vaccination rates are lower.
Also known as B.1.617.2, the variant was first identified in India in late 2020.
Vaccines from Moderna Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE—the three shots authorized in the U.S.—were primarily tested in large clinical trials for their efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease, rather than their ability to prevent infection completely. While the vaccines seem to be slightly less effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 from the Delta variant, research has shown that they remain highly effective at preventing serious illness and hospitalization.
Stalled for weeks, the portion of eligible Americans fully vaccinated against Covid-19 has ticked up recently to around 59%. Employer mandates and worries about the infectiousness and severity of the Delta variant are among the reasons people are getting vaccinated now, health officials say, particularly in states where Covid-19 cases have surged.
Here is what we know so far about the Delta variant and vaccines.
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