HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — We were on track to overcome the virus with vaccines. However with low vaccination rates in Alabama and the Delta variant, as doctors say, ‘out of control’; where do we stand?
Our WZDX News reporter, Keneisha Deas, spoke with them on the frontlines about where we are.
“It is frustrating, it is really disappointing as well. We reached a point there was hope of forgetting about the virus,” said Huntsville Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Ali Hassoun.
Now, the pandemic has taken a turn for the worse, with the Delta variant, a more transmissible, strain at the forefront.
“Now the window just has gotten smaller, and smaller, and smaller for us to do anything and Delta is here, and it’s got a foothold, not a toe hold but a foothold here in the state of Alabama, ” said ADPH Assistant State Health Officer, Dr. Karen Landers.
Dr. Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Public Health said COVID will be with us even after we get it under control.
However, in order to get this virus under control, a lot more people need to get vaccinated.
“We’re still going to have to ride out this storm. We’re talking a several-week period before fully vaccinated persons can have reached that status,” said Landers.
Landers says half percent of overall cases where vaccinated people were infected in Alabama, versus about more than ninety-six percent of hospitalized people who died from COVID since April 1, were unvaccinated.
“The breakthrough risk, is low. And even in the breakthrough cases, we have had fewer illnesses, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer deaths,” said Landers.
“This is not surprising. It is expected to happen because we know the vaccination is not 100% effective. We said from the beginning, the efficacy is up to 95% effective,” said Landers.
Hassoun said even though some fully vaccinated people are hospitalized with COVID, there is a big difference.
“When I see patient, get admitted with COVID and he’s vaccinated, the majority is a mild infection or moderate, and I know for a fact they are going to recover. Those unvaccinated unfortunately is a different story.”
Doctors say it’s still a chance to get the vaccine.
“We’re not going to judge you if you haven’t come in before now, and now you want to come in,” said Landers.
For information on available vaccination sites, click here.