Alabama’s bout with COVID-19 reportedly hits a milestone today. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Washington State estimates that our State will hit its peak for coronavirus cases today with over twenty thousand infections. Alabama also remains last in the nation for COVID-19 vaccinations at barely thirty two percent of the population fully immunized. Doctor Jeanne Marrazzo treats infectious diseases at UAB. She says the two dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work really well.
“It’s about ninety percent. It’s really quite good,” said Marrazzo. “It doesn’t mean it’s one hundred percent. There’s almost no vaccine that’s one hundred percent. But, nine out of ten who get two doses of that vaccine, or either of those vaccines, is going to be protected.”
Alabama health officials warn people who seek the vaccine now, that they won’t fully protected against COVID-19 for several weeks. That’s because the two dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses several weeks apart to be effective. Dr. Marrazzo says the two dose products work well, if you get both shots.
“The challenge comes if you only got one dose of either of those vaccines, and if that happens, you are going to be a lot more susceptible to the Delta variant. Probably, likely slightly less than half of people who get one dose will get, will get protection,” Marrazzo contended.
The Center for Disease Control says almost all the COVID cases in the U.S. involve the more contagious Delta variant. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation also predicts that Alabama daily death count from COVID-19 will continue to rise until late October.
