or the weakest who are at risk. Imagine a case of a 55-year-old who is
a year before we can make and distribute a children’s COVID-19 vaccine. So, you can forget herd immunity for at least a year. “Herd immunity” means that the chain of infections is interrupted by someone who can’t get the virus. But this virus is new to people, globally. A year ago, when COVID-19 first jumped from bats to people – by someone breathing the virus in – there was 0% global immunity. So far, we have positive test results in nearly 90 million people worldwide. Given that there are 7.8 billion people in the world, that means only about 1% of the global population has encountered COVID-19 and built up their immune defenses against it – at the cost of 2 million lives. So, there’s not global herd immunity either. As long as there’s international travel, there’s going to be cross-infections. Testing at the borders helps, but it’s not fool-proof. Only particle-filtering masks work. But good masks – N95 particle-filtering masks – are almost impossible to come by. Even doctors and nurses are wearing these disposable, one-procedure masks for weeks on end. A vaccine is the answer. Here’s the good news... The more people in your family, your friend group, your community, and your state that get the vaccine, the safer YOU become. That’s not national herd immunity, but it’s localized herd immunity. And the more people who opt in to get a vaccine, the safer all of us are. Remember, it’s not just the oldest
Here’s the good news... The more people in your family, your friend group, your community, and your state that get the vaccine, the safer YOU become. 2% death rate from COVID-19, and in the U.S., there is a 5% risk per case for hospitalization. But these risks are heavily weighted toward older, out-of-shape people. overweight with elevated blood pressure. I can imagine this easily when I look in the mirror. My risks of contracting COVID are at least 100 times higher than a healthy 15-year-old. Overall, we know that there’s an international Statistically, my personal risks might be half that: a 1% chance of death and a 2.5% chance of hospitalization. That’s a one in 40 chance that COVID-19 wrecks my world, and 1 in 100 to end it. I can tell you, I want to turn these odds in my favor. By getting a vaccine myself, I cut my risk of infection by a factor of 20. On top of that, I cut my risk of serious disease by an additional factor of 40. I like those odds, and I hope that you do, too. Because the more people who opt in to a vaccine, the safer that all of us become. We need to break the contagious COVID-19 chain as soon as we can.
American Consequences
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