PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As the COVID-19 delta variant helps lead the way for the rise in positive cases around the country, some experts say it's also leading to a rise in interest toward vaccinations.
The delta variant is a top concern for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, according to Jefferson pharmacist Robert Pugliese.
"The conversation is definitely changing. We're starting to see new questions," he said.
More than half of America's counties are considered high transmission areas for COVID-19. Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware counties have been listed by the CDC as "substantial," leading the agency to urge residents to wear masks in public indoors, whether vaccinated or not.
"We have 100 million people in this country who are eligible to be vaccinated who are not vaccinated," said Dr. Anthony Fauci on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday.
"We've really got to get those people to change their minds, make it easy for them, convince them, do something to get them to be vaccinated, because they are the ones who are propagating this outbreak."
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Pugliese runs Jefferson's mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which has been on the road since May and has administered more than 2,000 shots. He said he expects to see an increase in the amount of people they service. The delta variant, he believes, is the reason.
"We are seeing more unvaccinated people who are coming to us with new interest and new questions about their risk with the delta variant, because again everybody is concerned. You see the spike. Everyone is talking about it, hospitalization is on the rise," he said.
It appears the variant is leading to a rise in vaccinations, as the number of Americans who received their first shot increased by 30% last week.
Talk of the delta variant has been circulating among the health care community for a long time, according to Pugliese. "I think it's just starting to get out into the [general] community. As more people hear about it, they want to know what it means. They want to know what their risk is."
Pugliese added people should find a trusted health care professional and talk to them about concerns when it comes to vaccine hesitancy.
"I think we're going to see a change in the types of folks who are saying yes, who have said no in the past," he said.