When Will We Get to Herd Immunity?
Throw out the tedious calculus. It’s not that complicated. The simple answer to the question on everyone’s mind:
Herd immunity to Covid-19 is an enigma. It’s universally sought after regardless of party affiliation, religious creed, or level of vaccine acceptance. Think about it. Are you pro-herd immunity or anti-? Pro, of course! At the same time, it’s so poorly understood. How many people does it require? Is it permanent or temporary? Will it actually change anything? When can I take this frickin mask off?!?
NFL quarterback Cam Newton once said, “Hindsight is always 50–50.” I don’t bring that up to disparage Mr. Newton. In fact, he was quick to correct his mixed metaphor just seconds later. The point is that Cam’s Newtonian intellect astutely recognized how much easier it can be to understand something after it has happened.
While many health experts have tried to predict what percentage of the population must become immune to Covid-19 in order to reach herd immunity, no one really knows for sure. But, guess what? We will indeed know… after it happens.
Herd immunity is an event that transpires when enough of a population is immune to a disease— either by vaccination or prior infection — that the disease can no longer transmit…
