DES MOINES, Iowa — Health experts say cases of the new Delta variant of COVID-19 are now present in nearly every state in the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this variant originated in India and accounts for 10% of new cases in the United States.
The Questions
Are the current COVID-19 vaccines effective against the Delta variant? Are 25% of new cases in Iowa from this variant?
The Sources
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Dr. Ravi Vemuri, an infectious diseases consultant with MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center
- A study published this month in the medical journal The Lancet
The Answers
Yes, the current vaccines in circulations are effective at preventing serious illness and death.
No, 25% of new cases in the Midwest region defined by the CDC is likely seeing 25% of new cases from this variant, not Iowa.
What We Found
According to the CDC, the Delta variant originated in India and is now present in at least 46 states and spreading fast. The CDC estimates it accounts for 10% of new COVID-19 cases in the country. The agency's website states:
"Studies suggest the current authorized vaccines work on the circulating variants. Scientists will continue to study these and other variants."
There's little research about the variant, but a new study published in June's edition of The Lancet, a medical journal, suggests the Pfizer vaccine specifically is 88% effective against it.
However, there is no data regarding the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine. Local 5 spoke to Dr. Ravi Vemuri, an infectious disease expert with MercyOne, who said that the published study was limited to the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines because those are vaccines in use in the U.K.
When it comes to the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in general, Vemuri said all are effective at preventing serious infection and death.
When it comes to the number of Delta variant cases surfacing in Iowa, Vemuri says the number is likely far less than 25% of new cases reported. The CDC monitors COVID-19 cases and data by region: Iowa is lumped in with Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas.
Vemuri said it's likely that 25% of new cases reported in that region are from the Delta variant, not just the state of Iowa.
"We're probably below the national average of 10%," Vemuri said.
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