In America, even full local hospitals do not dent vaccine scepticism

Editor’s note: On September 9th, shortly after this article was published, President Joe Biden announced tougher vaccine mandates covering as many as 100m Americans, including federal workers and employees at larger private-sector companies.

A GLANCE AT the chart of global vaccine scepticism shows an alarming trend for Americans: while other rich countries see a steadily downward slope, America is flatlining. The highly contagious Delta variant continues its march across the country, wreaking exceptional havoc on the South, one of the country’s least-vaccinated regions. Six states— Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas—have more than 90% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds occupied. Deaths have risen to levels not seen since March, before the vaccine was widely available: numbers that recall the early months of the pandemic.