(WHDH) — The coronavirus is “just a few mutations potentially away” from evading current COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The amount of virus that is circulating in this country largely among unvaccinated people — the largest concern that we in public health and science are worried about — is that virus and the potential mutations away we are from a very transmissible virus that has the potential to evade our vaccines in terms of how it protects us from severe disease and death,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Walensky noted that “fortunately” America is not quite at that point because vaccines currently “operate really well in protecting us from severe disease and death.”
“The big concern is the next variant that might emerge, just a few mutations potentially away, could potentially evade our vaccines,” Walensky explained.
Walensky went on to urge unvaccinated Americans to get the vaccine to prevent the virus from mutating again.
Also on Tuesday, the CDC recommended that vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the country where the COVID-19 Delta variant is fueling a surge in new cases.
The change in mask guidance comes amid concerns about the Delta variant’s ability to spread among vaccinated people.
About 99.5 percent of new virus cases across the country are said to be among the unvaccinated.
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