What If Not Enough People Get the Covid-19 Vaccine?
To coincide with the U.S. vaccine rollout, Elemental has published an extremely thorough guide to Covid-19 vaccines, answering every question we could think of. Elemental will continue to update and add to this FAQ as the rollout and FDA authorization process continues. If you would like to submit a question, leave a response at the end of the story. Here’s a peek at one of the questions inside.
Q: What happens if too many people refuse to get the vaccine?
The ultimate goal in a nationwide — and global — vaccination campaign is to reach herd immunity, or community immunity, where those who cannot receive the vaccine are protected by the high level of immunity in everyone else. If too many people refuse to get the vaccine, we won’t reach herd immunity, and the disease will continue to spread through populations, though at a slower rate, [Devon] Greyson [PhD, assistant professor of communication at University of Massachusetts, Amherst] said. “The vaccine will not have the kind of community protection we want, and, in particular, vulnerable people in the community, people with immunodeficiencies who can’t mount a response to the vaccine even if they get it, will not be protected,” she said.
But that’s more of a long-term concern if it ends up being a concern at all. In the beginning, vaccine refusal is not…
