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.
South Korea says it has reached a deal with the US for the release of workers in a Georgia plant
More than 300 South Korean workers were detained in an immigration raid on Thursday. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said South Korea plans to send a charter plane to bring the workers home.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to resign
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed his intention on Sunday to step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July's parliamentary election.
Fantasy or faith? One company’s AI-generated Bible content stirs controversy
"The AI Bible is a way to really bring these stories to life in a way that people have never seen before. Think of if we were like, the Marvel Universe of faith," said one of the site's creators.
A teen nicknamed ‘God’s influencer’ is becoming the first millennial saint
Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia at 15 in 2006, is known in the Catholic Church as "God's influencer" for harnessing technology to spread the word about miracles.
Russia assaults Ukraine with over 800 drones and decoys, the largest such attack in the war
Russia hit Ukraine's capital with drone and missiles Sunday in the largest aerial attack on the country since the war began.
West Point alumni group scraps prestigious award celebrations honoring Tom Hanks
The 69-year-old actor and veterans' advocate had been scheduled to receive the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer award at an official ceremony and parade on Sept. 25.
