Coronavirus vaccine and Delta variant updates for 8-27-2021

<p>This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for August 27th, 2021.</p><p><br></p><p>Kentucky and Texas joined a growing list of states seeing record numbers of hospitalized patients in a surge that’s afflicting more children. Wednesday, both reported more patients in their hospitals than at any other time since the pandemic began. In New Mexico, health officials warned they’re about a week away from rationing health care. And in Idaho, state leaders called on residents to volunteer to help keep medical facilities operating.</p><p><br></p><p>U.S. health regulators could approve a third booster shot for adults beginning only six months after full vaccination, instead of the previously announced eight-months. Approval of boosters for Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson &amp; Johnson is expected in mid-September. Pfizer’s already started the application process for approval of its booster shot for those 16 and older, saying it spurs a more than three-fold increase in antibodies.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>If you’re worried about getting a blood clot from the vaccine, you have a bigger problem. COVID. A new peer-reviewed study out of Oxford shows the risk of rare blood clotting is significantly higher from Covid-19, than from vaccination. Researchers estimated 107 out of 10 million people would be hospitalized or die from low platelet counts within 28 days of getting a first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, while that number rose to 934 people per 10 million after a positive test for Covid.</p><p><br></p><p>New research in the journal Nature says around one third of Americans had been infected with Covid-19 by the end of 2020. That’s a number much higher than what official testing detected. The model showed around 103 million Americans had been infected while the CDC data puts the figure at only 20.5 million.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>How do Americans feel about employers imposing vaccine mandates? Split, as always. A new AP poll shows half are in favor, half aren’t. Same for workplace mask mandates, half in favo