Delta Variant On The Rise In U.S., Prompting New Warnings To Get COVID-19 Vaccination

The highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus is quickly spreading throughout the United States, the Biden administration said on Tuesday in a renewed effort to persuade Americans to get vaccinated.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, told reporters that the Delta strain, first identified in India, now accounts for about 6% of new infections in the U.S.

(The World Health Organization shifted how it names coronavirus variants earlier this month, opting to refer to them by letters of the Greek alphabet rather than the regions they were first seen. The change was made to reduce the stigma associated with country-affiliated nomenclature.)

The Delta variant has already become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the U.K. , accounting for about 60% of new cases and raising concerns about a planned reopening of society that some experts fear could launch a third wave of the pandemic.

We cannot let this happen in the United States, Fauci said during a briefing with reporters.

Two doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were effective against the Delta variant, but Fauci said just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine was only 33% effective against the strain.

If youve gotten your first dose, make sure to get that second dose, Fauci said. For those who have not been vaccinated, please get vaccinated.

The doctor added that transmission in the U.K. was peaking among young people aged 12- to 20-years-old, a key group American officials hope to vaccinate en masse to prevent a new wave of infections.

President Joe Biden agreed with Faucis assessment and advice:

Folks, the Delta variant a highly infectious COVID-19 strain is spreading rapidly among young people between 12 and 20 years old in the U.K. If youre young and havent gotten your shot yet, it really is time. Its the best way to protect yourself and those you love.

President Biden (@POTUS) June 8, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"President Biden","author_url":"https://twitter.com/POTUS","cache_age":86400,"description":"Folks, the Delta variant a highly infectious COVID-19 strain is spreading rapidly among young people between 12 and 20 years old in the U.K. If youre young and havent gotten your shot yet, it really is time. Its the best way to protect yourself and those you love. President Biden (@POTUS) June 8, 2021\n\n","options":{"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"President Biden on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1402321777200611336","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"60c057ece4b0db85704f592c","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/delta-variant-covid-19-fauci_n_60c057ece4b0db85704f592c","entryTagsList":"coronavirus,covid-19,politics,anthony-fauci,delta-variant","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/ded790ba-4a2e-444e-a053-bd2e13f74269/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":11},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"60c057ece4b0db85704f592c","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Coronavirus","slug":"coronavirus","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/coronavirus","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/coronavirus","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/coronavirus"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Coronavirus (COVID-19)","slug":"coronavirus","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/coronavirus"},{"name":"COVID-19","slug":"covid-19","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/covid-19","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/covid-19","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/covid-19"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"COVID-19","slug":"covid-19","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/covid-19"},{"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics"},"relegenceSubjectId":982065,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics News","slug":"politics-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-news"},{"name":"Anthony Fauci","slug":"anthony-fauci","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/anthony-fauci","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/anthony-fauci","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/anthony-fauci"},"relegenceId":3570524,"url":"https://action.news/topic/anthony-fauci"},{"name":"delta variant","slug":"delta-variant","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/delta-variant","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/delta-variant","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/delta-variant"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/delta-variant"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

Folks, the Delta variant a highly infectious COVID-19 strain is spreading rapidly among young people between 12 and 20 years old in the U.K. If youre young and havent gotten your shot yet, it really is time. Its the best way to protect yourself and those you love.
President Biden (@POTUS) June 8, 2021

U.S. officials have touted the effectiveness of the countrys mass vaccination drive in recent days. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the country had seen declining rates of infections linked to the inoculations.

Each week there are more and more data to demonstrate the impact vaccination has on preventing disease and moving us out of this pandemic, Walensky said Tuesday.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Biden has been working toward a goal of seeing 70% of Americans vaccinated with at least one dose by July 4. That goal, however, has been imperiled by falling vaccination rates.

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus

Do your vaccine side effects predict how youd react to COVID-19?
Ive been sick from COVID-19 for almost a year .
Should children go to camp this summer?
These are the most common ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health .
Find all that and more on our coronavirus hub page .