Whether you get a vaccine or not, herd immunity is not that far away!

A couple of days ago, over one-half of adult Americans were protected with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over 3 million citizens are being vaccinated daily – almost one hundred million a month. With the reinstatement of the J&J vaccine, the daily vaccination numbers will continue to climb. The pandemic vaccines are now available to everyone over 16 years of age.

Concerns?

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/adults-american-coronavirus-vaccine/2021/04/19/id/1018149/. I expect headlines to be telling us that we have a severe risk of reinfection from a new strand of coronavirus when 95% of the American population is fully vaccinated. As good news is seeping through the doors, the headlines are still full of doom and gloom.

I saw today that health care experts are overly cautious because of vaccine hesitancy and people opting not to wear their face masks. Is vaccine hesitancy a genuine concern?

Hesitancy?

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/things-scientists-learned-vaccine-hesitancy-analysis/story?id=77127290. The statistics about reluctance to getting vaccinated are derived from Census Bureau surveys that asked people if they were ‘definitely not’ or ‘probably not’ going to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

A year ago, I did not know when a vaccine would be approved and released, much less whether I thought a vaccine to protect me against a disease that is 99% survivable was of real value to my family and me. Do you remember when you told the Census Bureau about your druthers regarding a vaccine for coronavirus? I do not!

Assume their Bureau’s data is correct for a moment; the mad rush to get the COVID-19 vaccine along with success has changed many people’s minds. I have reservations about the mRNA vaccine and will not accept that one. However, the more traditionally developed coronavirus vaccine is fine with me.

Scientists are still alarmed at the number of new cases of COVID-19 – around 60,000 a day. Is this a large number? What should we be concerned about? Yesterday, less than 500 people died from coronavirus. Today, less than 900. It has been three weeks since the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths from COVID-19 was over 1,000. (https://abcnews.go.com/Health/things-scientists-learned-vaccine-hesitancy-analysis/story?id=77127290)

In a country of over 330 million people, raising the alarm at a near 0.00% daily death rate nationwide (almost immeasurable) from COVID-19 is not headline news unless we are hailing it as a victory over the disease. As more people get vaccinated, the daily death rate will continue to fall.

The hesitancy rate is dropping each month. In January 2021, the hesitancy rate was over 20%. A month later, it dropped by 25%. I believe that some people will not get the vaccine for whatever reason they deem acceptable. I do not think that number is over 10% when everyone who wants a vaccine has gotten one. Is that enough to stop herd immunity? NO!

Risky Behavior

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/heres-what-you-can-and-cannot-do-once-youre-fully-vaccinated/2473629/. Are people going to declare freedom from face masks after vaccinations? No, most likely not. There is still hesitancy to give up a face mask even after being vaccinated.
We have been taught to wear a face mask whether there is a high or low risk of becoming infected.

Many people are still scared that they can be carriers of the virus even after two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Can they infect others? Yes, they can. Is it a large number or percentage? No, but it is high enough to remain vigilant for a while longer. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html#:~:text=The%20risks%20of%20SARS%2D,spread%20it%20to%20others)

Conclusion

What is next? Millions of people are being vaccinated, and soon those wanting the vaccine will have had it and are ready to return to pre-pandemic lives. At what time can we shop freely, go to bars and sporting events without social distancing and handwashing?

I wish I could tell you. In theory, once 65-70% of the population is protected by having had the virus or have the coronavirus vaccine, then normal activities should resume. A virus cannot spread from a protected person to another protected person and dies out. Herd immunity is literally around the corner. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger, and we can hear the train a-rollin down the track heading for normalcy.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *