Phoenix-area health officials warn about threat of COVID Delta variant

PHOENIX – Local public health officials said Friday they are seeing evidence that a highly contagious variant of COVID-19 is spreading in metro Phoenix.

However, approved vaccines provide strong protection from the Delta variant, which made up about one fifth of the Valley’s COVID-19 cases in June, according to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

“The vaccine is highly effective against the Delta variant, but you have to get the full vaccine series to get the maximum protection,” Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, county medical director for disease control, said in a press release. “The majority of people who get the Delta variant are not fully vaccinated.”

Health officials are not only urging unvaccinated people to roll up their sleeves; they also are reminding those who have received one shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines to get their second dose. Even if a month or more has elapsed, it’s not too late to complete the series to gain full protection.

“If we can get more people vaccinated, the virus won’t have as many opportunities to spread and everyone will be more protected,” Sunenshine said.

The Delta variant was detected in some of the cases from a recent outbreak at a long-term care facility, which the county health department has been working with to enhance infection control measures.

“Unfortunately, this underscores how much more contagious the Delta variant is and how quickly it can spread from person to person, especially to people who are not fully vaccinated,” Maricopa County Public Health Executive Director Marcy Flanagan said in the release.

“The Delta variant has been increasing in Maricopa County since April and represented about 20% of sequenced cases during the month of June. We expect it will continue to increase, as it is now the dominant variant in the U.S.”

For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has a locator page that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.

Appointments may be required depending on the provider, but many accept walk-ins.

The minimum age to receive the Pfizer shot has been reduced to 12, but it’s still 18 for the other approved versions, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Maricopa County reported 584 new COVID-19 cases on Friday morning with one additional death, putting the Phoenix area’s totals at 563,477 infections and 10,318 fatalities from the virus.

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