The Delta variant is finding clusters of unvaccinated people even in some of the best-vaccinated parts of the country, such as Maine. A Covid-19 surge in the New England state has filled hospitals and put dozens of mostly unvaccinated people on ventilators, setting records for the state.
The problem, public-health experts say, is the variant’s high transmissibility combined with the relaxation of precautions such as wearing masks. Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations have also flared among mostly unvaccinated people in Vermont and western Massachusetts, highlighting the risk Delta poses even in states with the best track records for getting shots in arms.
“The Delta variant is so much more contagious that it doesn’t need much kindling to continue to burn,” said Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer at nonprofit health system MaineHealth.
New England leads the nation in Covid-19 inoculations, which health experts say provides a buffer against the virus. Nearly 69% of Maine’s total population of roughly 1.4 million is fully vaccinated, putting the state far ahead of the nation’s 56% full-vaccination rate for the entire population while trailing only Vermont and Connecticut.
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