CDC Director Warns ‘This is Becoming a Pandemic of the Unvaccinated’

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky expressed a warning on Friday about those who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus, saying, “This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

“There is a clear message that is coming through: This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” said Walensky during a virtual press briefing by the White House coronavirus task force. “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low unvaccinated coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk. And communities that are fully vaccinated are generally faring well.”

Walensky pointed out that those fully vaccinated are “protected against severe COVID hospitalization and death and are even protected against the known variants, including the Delta variant, circulating in this country,” while the unvaccinated “remain at risk.”

“And our biggest concern is that we are going to continue to see preventable cases, hospitalizations, and, sadly, deaths among the unvaccinated,” she said.

Walensky then reiterated the “importance of getting fully vaccinated,” saying that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines “are most effective” especially against the Delta variant “when given as two shots in a series” and two weeks after the second dose is administered. Walensky warned that those who do not get their follow-up shot put “those partially vaccinated at risk of illness.”

Compared to last week, coronavirus cases in the United States increased by 70 percent, hospitalizations increased by 36 percent, and deaths increased by 26 percent, according to Walensky.

Watch above, via NBC.