Surgeon General issues grim warning on Indian Delta variant, saying: 'If you are not vaccinated, you are in trouble,' and claims a future COVID strain could BEAT vaccines
- Dr Vivek Murthy said Indian Delta variant poses greatest risk to unvaccinated people
- He told CNN: 'This is a serious threat and we're seeing it spread among unvaccinated people'
- Murthy urged people to get vaccinated, or mask-up if they haven't had their shot
- Surgeon General said shots offer good protection from Delta variant - but also warned a future strain of COVID could end up defeating them
- Delta variant now estimated to comprise 20 per cent of new infections in the United States
- Early data from the United Kingdom suggests it is more transmissible, but that vaccines have made it far less dangerous
America's Surgeon General has issued a grim warning on the COVID Indian Delta variant, saying: 'If you are not vaccinated, you're in trouble.'
Dr Vivek Murthy pulled no punches while chatting with CNN host Erica Hill on Wednesday morning, and even raised the specter of a future strain of COVID that could beat all vaccines currently available to tackle it.
Asked about the latest variant, which is the most transmissible strain of COVID so far discovered, Murthy told Hill: 'The good news is that if you're vaccinated, and fully vaccinated, that means two weeks after your last shot, then there is good evidence that you have a high degree of protection against this virus.
'But if you are not vaccinated then you are in trouble. This is a serious threat and we're seeing it spread among unvaccinated people.'
Murthy added: 'If you are fully vaccinated your chances of getting sick and transmitting the infection is low.
'The key message from Delta is get vaccinated. its the best way to protect yourself from this variant and other variants you've seen before.'
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, right, told CNN host Erica Hill, left, that anyone who has not had their COVID vaccine is 'in trouble' because of the Indian Delta variant
Murthy told Hill that cases in new COVID hot spots - pictured in orange and red - are being driven by the Delta variant
The medic went on to say that fully vaccinated people are 'quite protected' from COVID, then added: 'Nothing is 100 per cent though.'
He continued: 'We cant guarantee that that will always be the case with new variants that arise down the line. That is why we must work so hard to crush the virus here and abroad.'
Murthy was speaking after Los Angeles County urged locals to start wearing masks again indoors, even if fully vaccinated.
The California county has stopped short of re-imposing a mandatory mask mandate, after Golden State Governor Gavin Newsom lifted almost all COVID restrictions on June 15.
An LA County Department of Health spokesman said: 'Public Health strongly recommends people wear masks indoors in settings such as grocery or retail stores; theaters and family entertainment centers, and workplaces when you don't know everyone's vaccination status.
'Until we better understand how and to who the Delta variant is spreading, everyone should focus on maximum protection with minimum interruption to routine as all businesses operate without other restrictions, like physical distancing and capacity limits.'
White House COVID tsar Dr Anthony Fauci says the Delta variant, so called because it was first spotted in the Indian Ganges Delta region, is now estimated to make up 20 per cent of all newly-diagnosed cases in the US.
Diners mask up to visit Grand Central Market in Los Angeles. LA County has urged people to mask up again indoors amid a spike in COVID cases blamed on unvaccinated locals
It became the dominant strain in the UK earlier this summer - accounting for 90 per cent of all cases - despite Great Britain's highly successful vaccination program.
Deaths in the UK have remained low even as diagnoses rocket again.
That has sparked hopes vaccines have finally broken the link between COVID infections and serious illnesses or deaths, by offering protection from the worst effects of the virus.
President Biden is believed to have been planning a symbolic July 4 'Independence Day' speech to declare the United States free of the virus.
But he is now expected to miss his target of having 70 per cent of the adult population jabbed by then.
The White House predicts that at least 70 per cent of Americans aged 27 and up will have had their vaccine by Sunday's nationwide holiday.
Shots are currently available to everyone aged 12 and over, with trials ongoing to see if they are also safe for younger children.
Vaccine hesitancy has been blamed on fears over the jabs' safety, amid evidence showing that Pfizer and Moderna's shots can cause heart inflammation.
Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine has been linked to blood clots, as as the AstraZeneca shot, which has yet to be approved for use in the US.
Scientists say such instances are extremely rare - and the chances of falling seriously-ill as a result are rarer still.
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