Triad's Teen Vaccination Rate 'Not High Enough' Says Expert

Infectious disease expert Dr. Christopher Ohl gave an update on COVID-19 on Thursday. His focus was on the new Delta variant in the U.S., and its potential impacts here on the Triad's youth.

The percentage of people between the ages of 12 and 18 in Forsyth County who have been vaccinated currently stands at roughly 25%. Ohl says that's not good enough.

"It's not going to be high enough to protect us from the Delta variant and to slow its circulation," says Ohl. "And it's going to be the younger people who are going to be infected. So, I'm anticipating that we'll have another wave of COVID here in the Triad area — maybe not quite as bad as in southern Missouri or northern Arkansas, but, nevertheless we'll have one."

Ohl says there is time for more people to be vaccinated before the Delta variant becomes a problem here 

The current proportion of Delta variant cases in the Piedmont is estimated to be between 11% and 16%. He says without further action, that percentage could double every ten days followed by an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.