Infectious disease expert concerned about Iowa vaccination rate

DES MOINES — An infectious disease expert is concerned COVID-19 hospitalization rates could rise if vaccination rates don’t improve. Dr. Leyla Best is with Unity Point in Des Moines and is concerned because vaccination rates have plateaued and the Delta variant is circulating in the state.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Iowa have remained below 100 for the past two months. But they have been trending upwards in recent days.

Best says more than 90 percent of admissions are unvaccinated people. The rest have compromised immune systems. Around 60 percent of adult Iowans have been fully vaccinated.