Unvaccinated people 11 times more likely to die in COVID-19 delta surge

The unvaccinated were six times more likely to get the virus in August.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, and Marlene Lenthang
Last Updated: October 18, 2021, 1:16 AM EDT

The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 722,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 66.5% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 15, 2021, 11:17 AM EDT

Cases creeping up in some Midwest, Northeast states

In recent weeks, cases have been creeping up in several states in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Colorado, New Hampshire, Vermont, Montana, Michigan and Minnesota have seen their case rates jump by 20% or more in the last month, according to federal data.

Alaska currently has the country's highest infection rate, followed by Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Idaho and West Virginia, according to federal data. California currently has the nation's lowest infection rate.

Since the beginning of September, the U.S. has seen a drop of more than 42,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals. Daily COVID-19-related hospital admissions are also down by 8.8% in the last week, and by more than 40% in the last month, according to federal data.

West Virginia currently has the country's highest death rate, followed by Idaho and Georgia. Texas alone is reporting thousands of deaths each week.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Oct 15, 2021, 10:15 AM EDT

Vaccine requirement for foreign travelers to begin Nov. 8

Beginning Nov. 8, foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. by air and nonessential travelers crossing land borders must show proof of full vaccination to enter the U.S., the White House announced Friday.

PHOTO: A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer working at the Point Roberts-Boundary Bay border crossing, in Point Roberts, Wash., is seen from Delta, British Columbia on Oct. 13, 2021.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer working at the Point Roberts-Boundary Bay border crossing, in Point Roberts, Wash., is seen from Delta, British Columbia on Oct. 13, 2021. The U.S. said it will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze.
Darryl Dyck/AP

Essential workers crossing via land, like those who come for work or school, have until January to become fully vaccinated. 

Air travelers will still be required to show proof of a negative test within 72 hours of departure, in addition to their vaccination status.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

Oct 15, 2021, 9:12 AM EDT

FDA panel hours away from vote on J&J boosters

The independent FDA advisory panel is meeting Friday and will hold a nonbinding vote on whether the Johnson & Johnson booster shot should be used.

PHOTO: Alan Antolin, left, administers the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to Steven Katz at mobile clinic set-up by McDonald's and the California Department of Public Health in the parking lot behind a McDonald's. on Sept. 29, 2021 in Diamond Bar, Calif.
Alan Antolin, left, administers the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to Steven Katz at mobile clinic set-up by McDonald's and the California Department of Public Health in the McDonald's parking lot on 205 block of Diamond Bar Blvd. on Sept. 29, 2021, in Diamond Bar, Calif.
Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE

Officials with the National Institutes of Health will also present data Friday on whether it's safe and effective to mix-and-match vaccine booster doses. 

-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik, Cheyenne Haslett

Oct 14, 2021, 7:18 PM EDT

CDC advising states to preorder Pfizer's vaccine for young children 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising states to order Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11 ahead of a vote on its authorization.

An independent Food and Drug Administration advisory panel is scheduled to discuss the vaccine on Oct. 26, and a vote is expected soon after. In planning documents posted by the CDC, the agency is advising states to order their doses in advance of the meeting, with preorders starting Oct. 20. 

This is meant to "ensure that vaccine can be placed in many locations nationwide, making it easier for children to get vaccinated" and "allow for a manageable and equitable launch," the CDC said.

A decision from the CDC on recommending the vaccine is not likely until early November; the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.

-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik