What do low vaccination rates in the South mean for the region?

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USA TODAY: Vaccinations in the South are among lowest in U.S.

Thursday, July 22

The unusually dangerous Delta variant of COVID-19 now causes the most infections of any variant in America. Wednesday the CDC said it represents more than half of all new cases. Because of this, people in some parts of the nation, particularly where vaccination rates are low, face a high risk of rising cases, hospitalizations and […]

Vaccinations in the South are among lowest in U.S.

The deepening impact of low vaccination rates in the South, a note on monuments and a celebration of tomato season.

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This week, more than ever, feels like one in flux especially when you consider the push and pull over the Olympic games and mounting concerns over COVID-19. One Alabama doctor recounts the most difficult part of treating patients who are severely ill is when they begin to ask for the vaccine. "'I hold their hand and tell them that I'm sorry, but it's too late,'" said Dr. Brytney Cobia, at Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham.

We spoke to health officials about the low vaccination rates in the South and how it's likely fueling the surge of COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant. "It feels very reminiscent of where we were in an early part of the pandemic," said Mississippi's state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers.

Even so, debates over vaccinations continue to take center stage in some states including Tennessee, where the top vaccine official was fired as COVID-19 began to show signs of a new spread. And recently, some parents in Nashville pushed back against a mask policy at schools.

Some of this tension is the reason I'm spending even more time in my garden these days. Beautiful blooms and nature's bounty. It's such a balm.

One of my colleagues mentioned this morning, that his neighbors dropped off a big basket full of tomatoes. My immediate thought was, I need better neighbors. If you're reading this Emilie, I'm joking. But I do have these delicious tomato recipes to share with you via our partners at Southern Kitchen. If seafood is more your speed, try these.

Last, but certainly not least, is the news that an Ida B. Wells statue was unveiled in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. In a moment where much of the discussion is about the monuments that must fall, it's uplifting to see a celebration of what should stand tall.

Thank you for reading and take good care!

Ashley Hopkinson (Editor, The American South)

P.S. I love this story about an artist transforming children prosthetic legs into artwork.

Low vaccination rates, Delta variant fuel surge in new COVID-19 cases across the South

In this file photo taken on April 22, 2021, pharmacist Kathie McDonough reconstitutes the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as she fills syringes with the vaccine for the incoming public at the UMass Memorial Health Care Covid-19 Vaccination Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.

JOSEPH PREZIOSO, AFP via Getty Images

For months it felt like life had returned to normal. COVID-19 vaccines were readily available and as a result new case numbers were falling nationally.

But that sense of optimism has faded across the country as new cases linked to the highly infectious delta variant are on the rise and disproportionately affecting unvaccinated populations.

Alabama had the lowest vaccination rate in the U.S. among adults averaging at about 33.4%. Arkansas and Louisiana are among the top five states with low vaccination rates, with little more than 35% of adults vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Tennessee, where the top vaccine official was recently fired, only 38.4% of people are fully vaccinated. By comparison, nearly 50% of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated as of July 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read the full story here

Ida B. Wells statue unveiled in Memphis

Left, Michelle Duster, Tiana Ferrell, Jasmine, Dan Duster and David Duster pose next to the statue of their relative, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, the African American civil rights advocate and journalist who fought against racism, segregation and lynching, in the new Ida B. Wells Plaza on Beale Street on Friday, July 16, 2021.

Ariel Cobbert/ Commercial Appeal

A life-size statue honoring the pioneering journalist, educator and civil rights advocate now stands at Beale and Fourth streets, adjacent to the original office of Wells' The Free Speech and Headlight newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee. The unveiling culminated a full week of festivities celebrating Wells' life and legacy in the city.

Wells was born on July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. After 16 years in Memphis, Wells left in 1892, forced to stay away from the city after threats were made on her life and her newspaper office was destroyed.

One organizer, who worked to bring the statue to the city, said he hopes it inspires people to do what Bell is known for—fighting injustice.

Read the full story here

Celebrate tomato season with these recipes

Easy fried green tomato recipe

Southern Kitchen/Ramona King

From the early hot days of summer through the first brisk morning in fall, tomato season reigns supreme down South. Whether you fancy tomato pie or my personal favorite, fried green tomatoes, you'll enjoy the variety in this curated list.

Get the recipes here

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