JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A majority of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control is reporting just over 75%. Last year, we reported between 50 to 90% of the population would need to be vaccinated in order for herd immunity to be achieved.
THE QUESTION
Have we reached herd immunity?
THE SOURCES
- UF Health Jacksonville’s Director of Infection Prevention Chad Neilsen
- CDC
THE ANSWER
False. We have not reached herd immunity, and we probably won’t.
WHAT WE FOUND
Although 75% of Americans receiving at least one dose of the vaccine sounds like it would mean we've reached herd immunity, Neilsen says it is a little too late.
“It’s a bummer," Neilsen said.
“To achieve herd immunity, you need a rapid sudden change in the population, whether that’s behavioral or vaccination, across the country or across the region in order to really push the virus our of the population. We just don’t have that," he explained.
Earlier in the pandemic, infectious disease experts said if we could just get 70% of the population vaccinated, we might reach herd immunity. However, urgency is a big factor in reaching that goal.
Neilsen explains it’s like we missed a deadline.
Americans collectively didn’t act fast enough to get vaccinated. The rate of vaccinations vary from county to county and the virus mutates rapidly.
For example. Duval seeing about 60% of people vaccinated whereas Baker is around 40%.
Neilsen says this should not deter you from getting vaccinated if you aren't already.
“Vaccines, boosters, and different behavioral changes are going to be what is needed to sort of push forward into this new COVID world we live in," said Neilsen. "So I’m not as doom and gloom to say we are going to be living with COVID forever. I certainly don’t think that is the case.”
He says we are on the verge of the pandemic becoming an endemic and if more people get vaccinated, we could get their faster.
“A disease in endemic when it essentially is always in the population rotating among individuals who don’t have immunity," said Neilsen. "That’s what we see with things like rhinovirus which is the common cold.”
He thinks eventually vaccines will help us corner that virus as he described and maybe one day eradicate it.
If you still need to get vaccinated and need to know where to go, text "VACCINE" to 904-633-2402.