Even as the surge in coronavirus infection due to the Delta variant has forced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to revise it’s mask guidelines, vaccination rates have been surging, even doubling in some states.

The Delta variant was just beginning to surge when the month began, and by this week its spread had not only spurred that change in mask guidance by the CDC, it also resulted in hyperbolic and often irresponsible news coverage.

But according to an analysis of CDC date by CNN, the past three weeks have also seen a significat increase in average national daily vaccinations (26%), and increases of more than double in some states with the lowest vaccination rates:

Alabama’s average, for instance, is more than double three weeks ago. The state has the country’s lowest rate of its total population fully vaccinated, at 34%. Gov. Kay Ivey on July 23 called out “the unvaccinated folks” for the rise in Covid-19 cases there.

Arkansas, with just 36% of its population fully vaccinated, also has seen its average daily rate of doses administered double in the last three weeks.

Louisiana, which had by far the most new cases per capita last week and only 37% of its population fully vaccinated, saw daily vaccination rates rise 111% compared to three weeks ago.

Missouri, also hit hard by the recent surge in new cases, now has a daily average of new vaccinations 87% higher than three weeks ago.

There has been steady coverage of the Delta variant as its prevalence increassed, but the past week or so have seen an explosion of stories about the variant, and about once-anti-vaccine people changing their minds — sometimes tragically late. Time will tell what effect that has on vaccination rates in the coming weeks.

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