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- Some organizers are canceling big events, like the New York Auto Show, as cases of COVID-19 increase.
- Some other sites require proof of vaccination upon entry.
- Public health experts have said that vaccine-only events are safer and an incentive to get vaccinated.
As cases and hospitalizations increase due to the Delta variant of COVID-19, organizers have canceled the New York Auto Show and New Orleans Jazz Fest.
COVID-19 cases have increased since July after months of steady decline. Florida has become the epicenter of the new wave, in part due to its relatively low vaccination rate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reinstated its recommendation for vaccinated and unvaccinated people to wear masks indoors in high transmission areas due to the increase in cases.
But because a COVID-19 vaccine prevents severe disease of the Delta variant in the vast majority of cases, some experts have said that requiring vaccines during large events could reduce the risk of participants becoming infected with COVID- 19.
Donald Dumford, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, said larger events carry a higher risk due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant. While studies have suggested that vaccinated people do not spread the original strain of COVID-19 as often as unvaccinated people, the same does not hold true for the Delta variant.
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Fully vaccinated people have a 50-60% lower risk of infection than the Delta variant, compared to unvaccinated people, according to a new study from the UK. The study was not reviewed by other scientists. A complete vaccination reduces the risk of hospitalization by 90%.
Despite the effectiveness of the vaccines, the federal government has not required that all citizens receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but cities and individual businesses have. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the requirement to get vaccinated before entering indoor restaurants, gyms and theaters. United Airlines, Walmart and Google have all decided to require certain employees to have their photos taken.
Dumford suggests that vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks at all large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus. He added that requiring vaccines at large gatherings reduces the risk of a breakthrough infection.
“Even though we’ve seen breakthrough cases, and people vaccinated with a breakthrough are just as contagious as the unvaccinated, you’re eight times less likely to acquire COVID if you’re vaccinated,” Dumford explained.
Not only are vaccine events safer, they could encourage more people to get vaccinated. Amesh Adalja, senior researcher and infectious disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said requiring proof of vaccination before witnessing pre-pandemic-type events could influence unvaccinated people who are on the fence. .
“It should be seen and promoted as a value for them individually that allows them to safely return to their pre-pandemic lives,” Adalja told WebMD. “I also think that when people can actually see how being vaccinated will change their lives for the better, it will motivate them to get the vaccine.”
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