As Delta, Mu COVID Variants Spread, 24 States Are Still Under 50 Percent Vaccinated

As the Delta and Mu COVID variants continue to spread, less than half the populations of 24 U.S states are fully vaccinated, data shows.

The U.S is currently averaging around 161,327 new COVID cases per day, with the Delta variant believed to be responsible for as many as 99 percent of infections, according to The New York Times COVID data tracker.

In addition, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week that the U.S government is "keeping a close eye" on the Mu variant, which has the potential to be resistant to vaccines.

Alaska has reported the most cases caused by the Mu variant, with around 150 cases accounting for around 4 percent of total cases.

Deaths caused by COVID in the country have meanwhile increased by a factor of five since the beginning of August, reaching an average of 1,500 deaths per day for the first time since March.

While case numbers have begun to fall in parts of the Deep South, outbreaks in the Midwest, Northeast, and mid-Atlantic have kept averages across the country high.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states COVID vaccines are safe, effective at protecting the person from getting sick. They are also free of charge.

Since the roll-out started last December, vaccine administration is now at an average of around 950,000 doses per day, which is an increase on the July average of around 500,000 doses per day. It is estimated that around three-quarters of adults in the country have now received at least one dose of a COVID vaccination.

Despite this, in just under half the states of the U.S, under half the population is fully vaccinated. This includes Tennessee with around 42 percent of the population fully vaccinated. The state is currently experiencing an average of 6,817 cases per day—an increase in cases of 36 percent in the past week.

At the bottom of the list of states with fully vaccinated residents is Alabama, which is currently reporting that 61 percent of its population is yet to receive two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The state currently has an average of 4,382 cases per day, with the third-highest rate of hospitalization after Florida and North Dakota.

In Florida, cases have begun to decline but more but its hospitalization rate remains the highest in the U.S., with 14,907 admissions per day. 54 percent of its citizens are fully vaccinated.

Half of the population of South Dakota is now fully vaccinated, yet the state is still leading the way in terms of the average number of cases per day.

The daily average for South Dakota is 5,445 cases, an increase of 50 percent in the past week. Hospitalizations stand at an average of 225 per day—the highest since the winter surge in the virus—with deaths at an average of 1.4 per day.

Also included in the states with less than 50 percent of the population vaccinated are Kansas, Texas, North and South Carolina, and Louisana.