The Whatcom County Health Department says the worrisome Delta variant of the coronavirus is another reason for all eligible residents to get vaccinated.
Just one case of the variant has been detected in Whatcom County so far, but with hundreds of cases found in the Puget Sound region many more are expected here.
The Delta is much more contagious than earlier variants and all are more transmissible than the original coronavirus.
Full vaccination is important as the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to be effective against the Delta and other variants.
The one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine is still being studied but early results show it’s also promising against the new strains.