Feinstein Implores Californians to Get Vaccinated

Press Release

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today implored more Californians to get the COVID-19 vaccine as new cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise across the country.

"CDC Director Walensky was exactly right when she said COVID-19 is becoming "a pandemic of the unvaccinated,' " Senator Feinstein said. "And things are only going to get worse as the more contagious delta variant spreads. Right now it's making up more than half of all new cases in the United States and up to 70 percent in some areas.

"Almost everyone now dying in the United States from COVID-19 is unvaccinated. The only way we're going to avoid more deaths and get this virus under control is to get more people vaccinated."

Key facts:

More than 97 percent of COVID-19 patients in the hospital nationwide did not receive the vaccine. (Source: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, July 17, 2021)
California is seeing an average of 3,484 new cases per day. That's up from 1,169 new cases two weeks ago and up from 901 new cases when the state reopened on June 15. (Source: New York Times)
Four states accounted for more than 40 percent of all new cases last week; 20 percent of all new cases occurred in Florida. These are all states with low vaccination rates. (Source: White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, July 17, 2021)
The COVID-19 delta variant now accounts for 50 percent of cases nationwide, rising to more than 70 percent of new cases in some parts of the country. (Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, July 17, 2021)
Los Angeles County reinstated a universal indoor mask mandate over the weekend, regardless of vaccination status. This happened after a seven-fold increase in new cases since the state reopened on June 15. (Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, July 15, 2021)
"The problem we're seeing around the country -- increasing numbers of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths among the unvaccinated -- is mirrored in California. Counties with low vaccination rates are seeing more and more people hospitalized and even dying. And these deaths, candidly, are almost entirely preventable," Feinstein said.

"In California, 63 percent of residents have already received at least one vaccine shot and 52 percent are fully vaccinated. But we need to get those numbers up, especially among the young. Today, only about 45 percent of children aged 12-17 have received at least one shot, and only 36 percent of eligible children are fully vaccinated.

"For those adults who refuse to get vaccinated -- even if you don't value your own health, please consider the children and other vulnerable populations who can't get the vaccine. Your refusal to take this safe, commonsense step is putting your neighbors at risk. Please get vaccinated."

Source