(NBC News) COVID-19 cases are on the decline nationwide, but health experts are worried that the downward trend could soon reverse, driven by the spread of more contagious virus variants.
The race to vaccinate as many Americans as possible is intensifying. The country is averaging more than 1.3 million doses administered every day over the past week, on track to meet President Biden’s goal of 100 million vaccinations in 100 days.
More vaccinations will not only slow the spread of infections but also help prevent new strains.
“The more people that are protected from infection the less opportunity you give to the virus. It can’t mutate if it can’t replicate,” explains Dr. Anthony Fauci.
That statement is underscored by new findings on AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
Research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, reveals it not only provides 76-percent protection against the virus for at least three months after one shot but also reduces the risk of transmission by almost two-thirds.
“We’ve talked for months about this herd immunity, but we didn’t have proof until now that vaccines would help prevent spread of the virus, so this is really amazingly good news,” says infectious disease specialist Dr. Celine Gounder.
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