Nearly every new Covid-19 death is now entirely preventable in America---CDC Director

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Wed, 2021-06-23 10:05 — mike kraft

CDC director: Nearly every new Covid-19 death is now entirely preventable in America The dangerous Delta variant poses a risk to the United States as the country works to ease out of the Covid-19 pandemic, but experts say the nation has the tools needed to overcome the threat – if the public takes advantage of them. By <a href="/profiles/meg-wagner">Meg Wagner</a>, <a href="/profiles/melissa-mahtani">Melissa Mahtani</a>, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes and <a href="/profiles/veronica-rocha">Veronica Rocha</a>, CNN CNN

The dangerous Delta variant poses a risk to the United States as the country works to ease out of the Covid-19 pandemic, but experts say the nation has the tools needed to overcome the threat – if the public takes advantage of them.

"Covid-19 vaccines are available for everyone ages 12 and up," US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing Tuesday.

"They are nearly 100% effective against severe disease and death – meaning nearly every death due to Covid-19 is particularly tragic, because nearly every death, especially among adults, due to Covid-19 is at this point entirely preventable."

Those still dying from Covid-19 in the US are "overwhelmingly" unvaccinated, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN's Jake Tapper.

As of Tuesday night, 65.5% of the adult population in the US has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. While that seems close to the goal set by President Joe Biden to have 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, experts are concerned about declining vaccination rates and the difficulty in motivating those still hesitant to get inoculated.

The Delta variant, which is believed to be more transmissible and more dangerous, is the "greatest threat" to the United States' progress against the virus, Fauci said Tuesday during the White House briefing.

Fauci said he thinks a return to the high virus surges of 2020 is unlikely, but communities continuing to hold out against vaccination could experience localized surges as the summer continues.

"Good news, our vaccines are effective against the Delta variant ... we have the tools," he said.

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