Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 8-20-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for August 20th, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>The World Health Organization is making it clear it is not happy with countries like the United States moving on to third booster shots. The Africa director warned such countries “make a mockery of vaccine equity.” Less than 2% of Africa’s population is fully vaccinated.</p><p><br></p><p>In Alabama, there aren’t any more available ICU beds. The state has run out. In fact there were negative 29 ICU beds available Wednesday night. State health officials say, "We've never been here before." Also, Alabama surpassed Florida as the state with the highest rate of children hospitalized with Covid after the number of kids admitted increased 333% in one week.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Needing an ICU bed and being unvaccinated may be a deadly combination if you’re in Texas. Doctors there have been told if ICU bed availability becomes an issue, they can consider vaccination status as part of triage. Doctors have noted unvaccinated patients are suffering worse outcomes. Meaning all other things being equal, vaccinated people are deemed more likely to survive.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Washington state joins those expanding vaccine mandates to include all public, charter and private school teachers and staff — and anyone working at state colleges and universities. And there is no weekly testing alternative. Those unvaccinated by Oct. 18 risk losing their jobs.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>The unvaccinated have an answer for their critics. We didn’t do this, you did. A new YouGov poll shows slightly more unvaccinated Americans blame vaccinated Americans for Delta’s surge than blame themselves. 6% blame themselves, 7% blame the vaccinated. A full one third blame the US administration and the CDC.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>In the United States cases were up 47%, deaths are up 97%, and hospitalizations are up 56% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending up since July 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>There are 7,198,006