Several Southern States Among Nationwide Rise In COVID-19 Vaccinations: CDC

COVID-19 Vaccine At Nursing Home In Pennsylvania

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The COVID-19 vaccination rate is seeing a steady rise nationwide in recent weeks, which even includes several Southern states ranking among the lowest rates per state seeing significant increases.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data obtained by CNN reports Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri have all seen significant increases in vaccination rates as the nationwide seven-day average is up 652,084, or 26%, during the past three weeks.

The data comes amid the spread of the Delta variant, which is reported to be "highly contagious, likely to be more serve" than previous known strains of the coronavirus and that “breakthrough infections may be as transmissible as unvaccinated cases,” according to the CDC.

CNN reports the vast majority of individuals currently experiencing severe COVID-19 cases remain unvaccinated.

Alabama has seen its average daily vaccination rate has more than double during the past three weeks to 34%, which still remains the lowest of any U.S. state.

Arkansas is currently at 36%, but has seen its average daily rate of doses double during the three-week span.

Louisiana -- which reportedly has the most new cases per capita among U.S. states -- is currently at 37%, but has seen its vaccination rates rise 111% during the past three weeks.

Missouri -- which is also dealing with a spike in new cases -- currently has a daily average of new vaccinations 87% higher than it did three weeks prior.

"I think the word is getting out," said Dr. Howard Jarvis, medical director of emergency health at Cox Health in Missouri via CNN. "We definitely have had an uptake in our area in vaccinations over the past few weeks. We have reached out to people as a hospital and some of the thought leaders, religious leaders that maybe hadn't been big proponents of getting vaccinated in the past, have stepped up and are doing so. So I think there is more willingness for people to get vaccinated."

On Saturday (July 31), the CDC reported 49.5% of Americans are currently fully vaccinated, which includes 57.9% of people 12 and older, representing the age group eligible for shots nationwide.

The data also reported the lowest rates of individuals who are fully vaccinated by state includes: Alabama (34%), Mississippi (35%), Arkansas (36%), Louisiana (37%), Idaho (37%) and Wyoming (37%).


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