HOUSTON – Five Fort Bend County residents were confirmed with the Delta variant of the coronavirus on Wednesday, county health authorities said.
Fort Bend County Health and Human Services authorities said three of these people had received only one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and one had not been vaccinated at all prior to the start of symptoms. The vaccination status of the fifth person has not been determined. Although symptoms were present, no one was hospitalized.
Health authorities noted that The Centers for Disease Control has recently reclassified the Delta variant from a variant of interest to a variant of concern. Variants of concern have an increased evidence of transmissibility and severe illness.
“These cases underscore the importance of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant becoming more prevalent in the U.S.,” Dr. Jacquelyn Minter, director of FBCHHS, said via a news release on Thursday. “Current research shows that two doses of the mRNA vaccines are over 80 percent effective against the Delta variant. The best protection that we have against this disease is to be fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated, we encourage you to wear your mask and to maintain a physical distance from others while in public.”
FBCHHS is asking everyone to use this information as a reminder to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccines are readily available at no cost throughout Fort Bend and surrounding counties. Full protection is present two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after a single dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
As an encouragement for residents to get their COVID-19 vaccine, the Sugar Land Skeeters Organization has provided free tickets for those persons who get their vaccine from a FBCHHS vaccination site or event this weekend.