Delta Variant Becoming Dominant in the U.S. While Covid-19 Vaccine Goal Remains Unlikely

The Delta variant is set to become dominant in the United States in the upcoming months. Experts say it may already account for 1 in every 5 infections nationwide. The Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Peter Hotez, said “this is the most transmissible of all the variants that we’ve seen” and added “we saw what happened in the UK, where it overtook the entire nation. So I’m worried that’s going to happen in the US.” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky anticipates the Delta variant to become “the predominant variant in the months ahead.”  The White House is focusing on a new vaccine milestone as the country is unlikely to reach President Biden’s July 4th goal of 70% of American adults receiving at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. According to the White House, 62.5% of Americans 12 and older have received at least one dose.