Why Alabama’s Declining Vaccination Rate Could Spell An ‘Uncomfortable Summer’
Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease specialist at UAB, said he was concerned about declining rates of COVID-19 vaccination during a press conference on June 7.
After months of declining case numbers and hospitalizations, health experts are warning Alabama could soon see an uptick in COVID-19 infections.
The state’s vaccination rate ranks second to last nationwide, with just under 30% of residents fully vaccinated. And demand for the shot continues to plummet.
“I think we might be headed towards, I won’t call it a turbulent summer, but I will call it an uncomfortable summer,” said Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Even though most Alabamians are not fully protected against COVID-19, Saag said many residents have stopped wearing masks and have returned to activities like summer barbecues, sports games and other social gatherings.
“Somehow the messaging from CDC about ‘only fully vaccinated people being safe without a mask’ got lost in translation,” Saag said.
Alabama’s low vaccination rate presents a “very worrisome situation” that could possibly lead to a summer surge, according to Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who spoke to NPR’s Here & Now.
“People see that things are getting better,” Marrazzo said. “So I think the urgency has really come down. That’s informed a sense of complacency.”
Both doctors said that more residents, especially adults under the age of 40, need to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of more infectious variants.
In recent weeks, Birmingham city leaders and health officials have started offering financial incentives for residents to get a shot.
Saag said that could help reach some people, but more targeted messaging is necessary to combat vaccine hesitancy.
He predicted that Alabama “won’t be anywhere close” to reaching President Biden’s goal of getting 70% of the state’s population at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4.
A developing political scandal in Florida has Gov. Ron DeSantis on the defensive
A developing political scandal in Florida has put Gov. Ron DeSantis on the defensive. Republican lawmakers are investigating how $10 million in state money was diverted for use in a campaign.
Artists wanted for Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes
The National Endowment for the Humanities says the project will "honor the statesmen, visionaries, and innovators who shaped the nation." It's a lot of statues.
More than 50 House Democrats demand answers after whistleblower report on DOGE
Members of the Congressional Labor Caucus wrote the letter after NPR reported that a whistleblower says DOGE may have removed sensitive labor data and compromised the security of computer systems.
Home sales just posted their biggest monthly fall since 2022
More inventory hitting the market was expected to drive sales. Instead, existing home sales suggest a continued slump in the housing market, with mortgage rates hurting affordability.
Judge pauses parts of Trump’s sweeping executive order on voting
A federal judge has paused a key section of President Trump's executive order that makes sweeping changes to voting and elections.
After nearly 50 years cooped up inside, Rockalina the turtle finds the great outdoors
Rockalina was an adult eastern box turtle living in the wild when she was taken into a New York home in 1977. When a reptile rehabilitation center got a hold of her this February, they worried for her survival.
