“The Delta variant is a game-changer,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director said on Thursday.
Ferrer announced that, as the Delta variant has become more prevalent in Los Angeles County, the percentage of infections happening among fully-vaccinated residents is rising. In March, vaccinated people accounted for only 2% of all infections. In April that rose to 5%. In May, it was 11%. Stood at 20% in June. The rise coincides with the rise of the more transmissible Delta variant in the county, which now stands at 84% of all variants recently identified.
But, said Ferrer, there are still very strong reasons for getting vaccinated. “If you’re vaccinated, the chance of you ending up in the hospital, winding up in the ICU, the chance of you winding up intubated are much less.”
One reason for the increase, she noted, “The more people who are vaccinated, the more people who will end up testing positive.” Currently, about 53% of L.A. County residents are vaccinated, so the proportion of vaccinated people to the overall population when compared to the proportion they make up of those who were infected, reflects Ferrer’s logic.
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The June 15 reopening may also have something to do with the spread among vaccinated people, she said. “When there’s more community transmission it effects…even those who have protection. If you’ve got more people around you who are infected, the more likely you are to get infected.”
“Those numbers will go up — including among vaccinated people,” she said, “until we get community transmission under control. Masking will help.”