Texas Health Commissioner Urges Vaccine Hesitant People To Get Their Covid-19 Shots

About 4,320 hospitalizations linked to Covid-19 were reported in Texas on Saturday. This marks an increase of more than 1,000 hospitalizations from the week before. The last time such high numbers were seen was in mid-March.

There was a 150% increase in Covid-19 related hospitalizations last week, revealed Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the department of state health services (DSHS).

He added that out of the new cases reported in Texas, most of them comprise the Delta variant. Hellerstedt urged Texans to come forward and get vaccinated if they haven’t received their shots.

“Unlike previous surges, this time we have safe, powerfully effective vaccines and plenty of them,” the health commissioner said adding: “We know how to vaccinate millions of Texans in a short period of time. We can see the danger coming on fast. But this time, we can stop it in its tracks.”

About 12.5 million Texans have been completely inoculated against the infection, while 60.1% of the state populace ages 12 and older have got themselves at least the first shot. Across the state, frontline workers are preparing for the worst, with some COVID-19 wards rapidly topping off once more.

Speaking to Texas Monthly, chief medical officer of Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Dr. Joseph Chang said it was disheartening to see the frontline health workers bracing themselves for the new Covid-19 wave.

Meanwhile, the White House said that vaccinations across the US are picking up, Fox News reported. As the Delta variant sweeps the nation, more than 790,000 vaccinations have been administered in 24 hours over the weekend.

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein took to Twitter and shared the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This apart, White House Covid data director Cyrus Shahpar also shared on Twitter that out of the total number of people vaccinated, more than 489,000 Americans are newly vaccinated.

As per the CDC, in excess of 163 million Americans have been completely immunized, while more than 188 million Americans have at least got their first shots of the COVID immunization.

Though Delta variant is wreaking havoc, Joe Biden, CDC and Dr Anthony Fauci have been pushing for unvaccinated people to come forward and receive their jabs. In spite of this, a part of the American population still have vaccine hesitancy.