Holdouts in Arkansas are finally getting the vaccine

The uptick in COVID-19 vaccinations — likely in response to the Delta variant — has remained steady for over a month now. The consistency suggests many of those who held out are now getting their shots.

Why it matters: Health experts stress the sooner more people get vaccinated, the sooner we'll see fewer hospitalizations and preventable deaths from COVID-19.

A recent Axios-Ipsos poll suggests vaccine hesitancy "may be crumbling." An estimated 20% of Americans say they are not very likely or not at all likely to get vaccinated, down from 34% in March.

• The biggest driver appears to be the rise in vaccine mandates, such as in workplaces, according to the poll.
• FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the severity of the Delta variant, and kids going back to school are also drivers.

Context: The first days of September saw daily vaccine numbers for the state in the 11,000s and 12,000s, numbers that have held since late July.

• Flashback: After the rush on vaccines, when they first became available last winter, vaccine distribution leveled out to anywhere from 2,000 to 7,000 doses a day in June.

By the numbers: Arkansans received about 161,000 shots over the past two weeks (Aug. 23–Sept. 5), about 146,000 shots the two weeks before that, and about 153,000 shots the two weeks prior, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Health.

• That's up from 68,766 shots during the two-week period of June 14–27 and 64,349 shots June 28–July 11.

Yes, but: We have a long way to go. About 38% of Arkansans 12 and older are unvaccinated, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Zoom in: NWA's vaccination rates mirror the state as a whole, with 48.9% of people 12 and older fully vaxxed in Washington County and 48.4% fully vaxxed in Benton County.