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As COVID variant cases spike, people are asked to remain vigilant

“Here in Texas the numbers are not really going up yet but all the signs are there. We’ve got a lot of things working against us,” Dr. Peter Hotez said.

HOUSTON — Pfizer announced on Thursday that its vaccine remains 91% effective at least six months after the second dose.

RELATED: 'End this pandemic' | Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine protections last at least 6 months

It's good news for health officials who are keeping a close eye on variants of the disease that are causing cases to spike in certain parts of the country.

"Please be careful. Don’t declare victory prematurely,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

Other health experts are asking everyone to remain vigilant.

“I wish we could delay Easter a couple of months. I wish we could delay Opening Day of the baseball season a couple of months because this is not a time we want to gather,” Dr. Peter Hotez, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine said.

Hotez said they’re seeing cases off the COVID B117 variant spike in different parts of the country.

“Here in Texas the numbers are not really going up yet but all the signs are there. We’ve got a lot of things working against us,” Hotez said.

Also, he said the variant is sending younger people to the hospital.

He’s optimistic about the results of a Pfizer vaccine trial that showed children 12 to 15 years old were 100% protected against the virus.

“It means that places like middle schools, junior high schools, high schools are going to be a very safe place because the students will be vaccinated, the teachers and staff, everyone is vaccinated,” Hotez said.

However, a human error at a Johnson & Johnson plant caused 15 million doses of their vaccine to go bad. It could delay future shipments.

“People should realize that all the doses that have been distributed to us and have been administered did not come from that plant," Fauci said.

Health officials said mistakes are bound to happen with such a fast rollout of the vaccines but the U.S. is closer to going back to normal with every person that is vaccinated.

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