ANALYSIS: Although nearly a third of Americans are fully vaccinated, holdouts could still delay US return to normal

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Mon, 2021-05-03 22:33 — mike kraft

Nearly a third of Americans are fully vaccinated. But one thing could still delay our return to normal As more US state leaders announce hopeful timelines for a return to normalcy, one expert says there's something that could delay how quickly we get there. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

(CNN) As more US state leaders announce hopeful timelines for a return to normalcy, one expert says there's something that could delay how quickly we get there.

"It's going to take us that much longer to get back to life as normal, to stop having to wear masks for our protection, if people don't get vaccinated and we don't have equitable distribution of vaccines," infectious diseases specialist Dr. Celine Gounder told CNN on Sunday.

And Covid-19 vaccine equity is key not only for the US, but across the globe, in order to reach the pandemic's finish line.

"If you have ongoing transmission, replication of the virus in places like India and Brazil, you will have mutant viruses arise, which threatens our own recovery," Gounder said....

Everyone 16 and older is currently eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine in the US. But polling data shows younger Americans are least likely to get a shot.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 36% of adults under the age of 35 say they don't plan on getting one.

That's particularly worrisome for several reasons.

Unvaccinated young Americans have helped fuel case increases across the US -- including in several states last month. At that time, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky warned infections and hospitalizations were going up, predominantly among younger adults who hadn't been vaccinated. ...

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