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FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Republican congressman from Kentucky on a key health policy assignment has stressed the importance of obtaining COVID-19 vaccines as the delta variant spreads through communities.
U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie stressed that COVID-19 vaccines work. His statement on Friday came the same day Kentucky reported 4,009 new cases of the coronavirus, its 10th highest daily number of infections since the start of the pandemic. About a month ago, daily virus cases statewide had dropped to around 200, but the highly contagious delta variant is fueling the new wave.
In his statement, Guthrie said, “Data from local health care providers and federal health agencies prove it. Unvaccinated patients currently account for the vast majority of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Kentucky and across the country. With the delta variant spreading relentlessly in communities across the country, I encourage everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “
Guthrie has consistently touted COVID-19 vaccines. The congressman urged people with questions about vaccines to contact their health care providers.
Guthrie represents Kentucky’s second congressional district. The congressman is the senior Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee.
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More than 1,400 patients infected with the virus were hospitalized in Kentucky as of Friday, including nearly 400 in intensive care units, and there have been 12 other deaths linked to the virus, the state reported.
“Hospitals are filling or are fully full across the Commonwealth,” Democratic Governor Andy Beshear said in a video social media post on Friday.
About 54% of Kentucky’s population is vaccinated against COVID-19. With the delta variant spreading rapidly, the governor warned the unvaccinated are at greater risk than at any time since the start of the pandemic. In addition, the number of children infected with the virus has increased amid the outbreak of the delta variant. Children under 12 are not eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.
Meanwhile, Americans at high risk of COVID-19 due to severely weakened immune systems are now allowed to receive a third vaccination in the hope of better protection.
The Food and Drug Administration has ruled that transplant recipients and other immunocompromised patients can receive a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The decision only offers an extra dose to high-risk groups, not the general public. Counselors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wondered who qualifies before approving the FDA’s decision.
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Guthrie said the decision is “important for people who receive an organ transplant, who have certain cancers or who have other medical conditions that compromise their immune system.” This gives them an “extra layer of protection,” the congressman said.
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