Dr. Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky were both in attendance.
The 7-day average of COVID-19 cases is about 129,000 cases per day and the average of new hospital admissions is just over 11,500 per day. The daily average of COVID-19 deaths increased to 896.
Vaccinations are up this month, as the U.S. averaged 900,000 vaccination given per day in August. This is an 80 percent increase from the previous month.
White House COVID Coordinator Jeff Zients encourage businesses, schools, local governments and colleges and universities to issue vaccine requirements.
“Bottom line, vaccination requirements work,” Zients said. “They drive up vaccination rates.”
However, Dr. Walensky said the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviewed data Monday that looked at an increase waning in vaccine effectiveness against COVID-29 infection.
The ACIP is looking into international and domestic data that suggests vaccine effectiveness is also waning against hospitalization.
The CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver told the ACIP Monday that the COVID-19 vaccine is still highly effective in preventing hospitalizations during the surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant.
Vaccine effectiveness against infection ranges from 39 to 84 percent, while vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization remains high from 75 percent to 95 percent.
Dr. Walensky also advised Americans to stay safe over Labor Day weekend.
She said people spend time outside, wear masks in public regardless of status, and encourage others to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
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CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said there is also a suggestion that vaccine effectiveness is waning against hospitalization.
This is based on CDC and international data that still needs to be reviewed by the ACIP.
“Our own data and international led to be concerned that the waning we’re seeing in infection will soon lead to waning for hospitalization, severe disease and death,” Dr. Walensky said.
“This is why it is so critical to plan ahead and remain ahead of the virus,” she added.
He said that President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. is looking into booster shots in order to “stay ahead of the virus.”
“We want to give states and pharmacies time to plan and be transparent with the American people about the latest data and CDC expertise to allow them to start planning,” Zients said.
The booster shot is pending FDA conducting and independent evaluation and the CDC panel of outside experts issue booster dose recommendation, he added.
“This virus has proven to be unpredictable and we want to stay ahead of it and plan for every scenario,” Zients said.
The 7-day average of COVID-19 cases is 129,418 cases per day. The current 7-day average of new hospital admissions is 11,533 per day. The daily death average has increased to 896 deaths per day.
Since President Jor Biden announced that all federal employees would be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, over 800 colleges and universities, over 200 health care employers, small and large businesses across the country and dozens of state and local governments and school districts have issued similar vaccine requirements, Zients said.
“Tens of thousands of Americans are now covered by vaccination requirements,” he added.
The number of job posting require vaccines are up 90 percent, Zients said, citing data from Indeed.com.
“Bottom line, vaccination requirements work,” Zients said. “They drive up vaccination rates.”
He encourages schools, businesses, local governments and colleges and universities to issue vaccine requirements.
The CDC has deployed more than 700 personnel across the country, surged supplies to overwhelmed health care systems, and expanded testing and the use of “life-saving” therapeutics.
“In August we’ve shipped more than 670,000 courses of therapeutics treatments. That’s more than six times as many as we shipped in July,” Zients said.
“These therapeutics prevent hospitalizations and save lives,” he added.
Dr. Walensky advised that people spend time outside, wear masks in public regardless of status, and encourage others to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC also recommends unvaccinated people not travel during this time. Fully vaccinated people wearing masks can travel, Dr. Walensky said, although they should take the Delta risks into their own consideration.
White House COVID Coordinator Jeff Zients said the U.S. is averaging 900,000 vaccinations per day in August. That is up from an average of 500,000 per day in July.
About 14 million people received their first shot in the month of August.
The CDC also said there were 6 million shots given last week, the biggest weekly total since July 5.
“Since July, the CDC has sent supplies like ventilators, therapeutic and ambulances to support the strained health care systems in those states as they respond to Delta,” White House COVID Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a briefing Tuesday.
