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The summer is starting to heat up and many are preparing for their summer vacations. This year, travel will increase compared to last year when we were all staring out of our windows hoping the COVID-19 cloud was starting to clear — it wasn’t.

That cloud, for the most part, has become a slight haze that has been waffling between dissipation and regeneration.

That regeneration has seemingly come in the form of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 strain we were all dodging last summer.

Health officials have said the delta variant is more contagious and more transmissible and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the variant accounts for more than 20% of new cases in the U.S.

This variant also has its own variant — delta plus.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, 29.41% of Chambers County residents have been vaccinated, a total of 9,780 people. There is still a way to go.

For anyone that has not yet been fully vaccinated and those that have only completed one dose, we encourage you to take the information regarding the newest variant seriously. Do more research and consider getting vaccinated.

The delta variant has been the catalyst for several outbreaks across the globe.

Areas that have lower vaccination levels are the most at risk of experiencing new outbreaks. Chambers County and the State of Alabama fall into the high-risk category.

Immunizations have been a part of life since England performed the first vaccination in 1796. Sure, this one has drawn much criticism, mostly rooted in distrust for the government and the rush to get the vaccines out without as much testing from the Food and Drug Administration as other drugs are required.

At the rate COVID-19 was spreading throughout our country, it was the right call to speed up those trials and approve emergency usage of the Pfizer and Moderna injections.

The first dose was administered in December and there hasn’t been a rash of people turning into robots or causing interference with radio signals. In other words, it appears safe.

Before the delta variant ruins our 2021 vacations, do us a favor and get a shot.