Graphs show COVID hospitalizations rising in states with low vaccine rates, as Delta variant lets rip across the US

• Nevada, Utah, Missouri, and Arkansas are seeing more hospitalizations, CDC data shows.
• It comes as the Delta virus variant continues to make inroads across the US.
• The data appears show the truth of warnings that the unvaccinated are especially at risk.
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New admissions of COVID-19 patients to hospitals are on the rise in several US states with notably lower vaccination rates.

US public health officials have warned that places where vaccination rates are low are at greater risk from the Delta variant, which is more transmissible and is set to soon become dominant in the US.

"These communities, primarily in the Southeast and Midwest, are our most vulnerable," Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday.

Here are four states where the hospitalization of patients with COVID-19 is increasing as the Delta variant is spreading through the US.

Arkansas (32% fully vaccinated)

The graph below shows new admissions of patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Arkansas as of June 29.

As of July 1, 32% were fully vaccinated in Arkansas, according to John Hopkins University data. By comparison, Vermont has fully vaccinated 59% of its population.

56% of Arkansas cases were due to Delta as of June 24, according to Action 5 news.

Missouri (36% fully vaccinated)

As of Wednesday, the variant made up about half of the cases, according to St. Louis Public Radio.

Nevada (39% fully vaccinated)

The Delta variant accounts for 46% of cases in Nevada, according to State Public Health.

Utah (35% fully vaccinated)

Delta variant prevalence for the state was not available, but as of June 19, the variant made up 46% of cases in the broader CDC region 8 (Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming).

Vaccines protect against serious disease, even with Delta

The trends are in line with what US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Wednesday: those who are unvaccinated "are in trouble" and should act fast.

Those who are fully vaccinated have a "high degree of protection" even against the Delta variant, he said.

According to data from the UK, two doses of a vaccine are highly protective against developing even mild symptoms after catching the Delta variant: 88% for the Pfizer vaccine, and 60% for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

One dose of either is less protective against developing mild symptoms of the disease: 33% in both types.

However, a single dose of either vaccine offers substantial protection against developing a worse version of COVID-19.

The AstraZeneca shot offers 71% efficacy against hospitalization, while the Pfizer shot offers 94% protection, data from the UK shows.

Johnson & Johnson and Moderna have also said that their vaccines remain efficient against the Delta variant, although published data is not yet available.