August 17, 2021
Is the vaccine effective against the Delta variant?
Yes – the vaccines protect against the Delta variant, which now makes up almost all of the cases in the United States.
The current COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing COVID-19 infections, including providing protection against the Delta variant, which is the predominant COVID-19 strain that is impacting our country.
While this variant is relatively new, here’s what we know so far:
- Vaccines appear to prevent 75-85% of symptomatic infections.
- Vaccines appear to prevent 90-98% of hospitalizations and death.
- Vaccines appear to reduce transmission of the virus.
- Those who have previously had the virus are more than twice as likely to become reinfected by the Delta variant if they are unvaccinated.
No vaccine is 100% effective, so it’s still possible to become infected with COVID-19 even after being vaccinated. However, the number of people who have become infected with COVID-19 after being vaccinated is less than 1% of all infections, which is remarkable effectiveness. And of those vaccinated, the majority of people do not experience a severe illness from the infection.
Submitted by: Dr. George Morris, Vice President, Incident Commander
