Thread by @DrEricDing

“The South may see a #COVID19 surge this summer” as vaccinations lag… needs to get to 70% or more.

“We’re just we’re not even close to that in Southern states,” @PeterHotez said—he foresees a new wave — “we’re so underachieving in terms of vaccination.”
nytimes.com/2021/06/07/wor…

2) “To avoid a summer surge, states across the South need to catch up to those in the Northeast which have already gotten at least one dose to 70 percent of their populations, according to @PeterHotez , a vaccine expert at Baylor College of Medicine.

3) In 15 states — including Arkansas, the Carolinas, Georgia and Louisiana — about half of adults or fewer have received a dose, according to analysis. In 2 states, Alabama and Mississippi, it would take about a year to get one dose to 70% at current pace nytimes.com/interactive/20…

4) “Mississippi, for example, has the country’s lowest vaccination rate, with 34 percent of the population having received at least one shot. Gov of Mississippi said that despite the low vaccination numbers, case numbers indicated the risk of contracting Covid was low.”

5) “Another worry is testing. But Dr. Trapido said a decline in testing would make it difficult to contain outbreaks ahead of a potential summer surge.
Nationally, the number of daily tests reported is down significantly.

6) ““We don’t have so many people rushing for testing because all the messaging is about vaccines,” Dr. Trapido said. “It’s important to remind people that if you’re concerned, it’s worth getting tested.”

7) In Louisiana, less than 20 percent of people in some parishes have received a first dose.
“We’ve got a significant percentage of Louisiana that has initiated, but it’s not herd immunity,” Dr. Kanter said. “It’s nowhere close to it.”

8) Part of the problem in vaccination rates being so low is the politicization of vaccines, especially in conservative areas. politico.com/news/2021/06/0…

9) big problem now is that #DeltaVariant is already here. Southern states with low vaccinations are at risk.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1402062059890786311