Some vaccinated Americans have lost their patience with those refusing the shot as Covid-19 cases...

John McCullough got a chilling look into the horrors of coronavirus while he worked as a contact tracer for a health department in Alexandria, Virginia.

So he did his part to keep himself and his community safe: mostly stayed home, wore his mask and had only a close group of people he interacted with.

He got vaccinated as soon as he could and was enjoying a return to the normalcy he had longed for. As Covid-19 vaccinations climbed in the spring and cases plummeted, local and state leaders did away with mandates and restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus. Experts touted that Americans who got their shots could cautiously return to pre-pandemic activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced fully vaccinated people could -- finally -- shed their masks.

"I was one of those people, the second the CDC said vaccinated people don't need masks outdoors or indoors, I was like 'Hallelujah,'" McCullough told CNN.

But with Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations now surging again and officials across the US suddenly reimposing restrictions after a summer of semi normalcy, McCullough and many other vaccinated Americans are becoming increasingly angry at those who are refusing the shot.
"I did what I had to do," McCullough told CNN. "Now, these people who are making this selfish decision are going to make me suffer the consequences."

The average number of new cases daily is up more than 400% since last month. Hospitals are again filling with Covid-19 patients -- many younger than ever before, and most unvaccinated. Mask mandates are back in parts of the country. And this week, the CDC updated guidance it issued in May and said fully vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in areas with "substantial" or "high" Covid-19 transmission to prevent further spread of the dangerous Delta variant. More than 80% of the US population lives in a county impacted by that guidance.

In Alabama -- the least vaccinated state in the country -- Gov. Kay Ivey called out residents who are refusing to get their shots, saying "it's time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks" for the rise in cases in her state.
In Alexandria, where McCullough lives, roughly 58.4% of residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated. The city was "elevated to a state of substantial COVID-19 community transmission," according to a city news release. Health officials there are urging residents to wear masks in public indoor settings. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam made the same recommendation to residents Thursday, adding that "getting vaccinated is the surest way we can bring this pandemic to an end."
McCullough says he's now back to bringing his mask with him when he goes out and worries his community could soon face a fresh round of strict restrictions.
"The repercussions are going to fall on people like me, that took responsibility," he said. "And that's infuriating."