×

It's unlikely America will reach herd immunity, experts warn

Published May 03 2021 at 1:33 PM GMT
Key
Points
  • When will the United States reach herd immunity to COVID-19" Experts now say it might not " but that doesn't mean the virus has to remain a "society disrupter.
  • That's according to a new report in The New York Times, which says there is now a "widespread consensus among scientists and public health experts" that in the U S, the "herd immunity threshold is not attainable " at least not in the foreseeable future, and perhaps not ever.
  • The report explains that while experts once thought the US may be able to reach this threshold when 60 to 70 percent of the population had immunity to COVID-19, it's now believed reaching 80 percent or more may actually be required due to the spread of the more transmissible B 11 7 variant.
  • This level may be out of reach, experts say, in part due to vaccine hesitancy.
  • These experts think that COVID-19 may continue circulating in the United States for years, the Times reports, but that vaccines can help turn it into a "manageable threat" that could be "seasonal, like the flu, and affect mostly the young and healthy.




Trending

Stats

  • Published May 3, 2021 1:33 PM GMT