‘Herd immunity,’ a term that for many signifies an end to pandemic restrictions and a return to normal life, may not be a realistic outcome according to experts.
According to the New York Times, health experts are reaching the consensus that the virus in unlikely to disappear completely even as the number of vaccinated Americans continues to rise.
Experts believe the virus is here for the long-haul and may continue to circulate through the population for years to come. They say that the more attainable goal is to limit the size and frequency of outbreaks through vaccination so the problem is more manageable.
The threshold for herd immunity has risen over time, from 60-70% of the population to 80%. As the virus continues to evolve and develop more contagious variants, it is unclear what it will take to reach a sufficient level of immunity.
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Biden administration’s top adviser on Covid-19, said while they are no longer using the goal of herd immunity as an endgame-metric for a return to normal life, there is still value in getting more people vaccinated.
Fauci said as the number of vaccinated people rises, the number of those infected will go down.
