What happens if herd immunity is not achieved

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Fox News anchor credits Covid vaccination for saving his life. Herd immunity with Covid could come and go, scientists say. Or we might never reach it at all. Leana Wen said. But don't panic. Here's why it's possible to dip in and out of herd immunity, and what you can do now to maximize the chances of snuffing out Covid for good:.

Read More. Why herd immunity is so difficult. Lagging vaccinations in rural areas could hinder the end of the pandemic, CDC says. Estimates vary on how much of the population needs to have immunity to reach that goal. Board-certified internist Dr.

But there's a catch: No one younger than 12 can get a Covid vaccine in the US right now. All three vaccine makers are conducting vaccine trials with young children. Some health experts say high school and middle school-age children could be vaccinated by this fall, but Fauci has said younger children will likely have to wait until early And that's a major obstacle for reaching herd immunity, as young people can still get infected and transmit the virus.

Anti-vaxxers could prevent herd immunity. A big reason we might never reach herd immunity is because not enough people are willing to get vaccinated. If that happens, the virus will have ample opportunity to spread, slowing down a return to normal life. That includes young, healthy adults. Not only can they be easy transmitters of the virus ; many are also suffering from long-term complications such as chronic fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath and brain fog.

Rodriguez said he thinks vaccine hesitancy would be reduced if everyone saw how badly coronavirus can ravage victims. If you have a family member who has cancer, you see them go through the whole process. You see them go through the chemo, you see them go through the wilting away. You see how horrible the death is," he said. You don't see them drown in their own phlegm.

You don't see them gasping for air. Herd immunity can change depending on the season. Murray said he believes the biggest reason we can "go in and out of herd immunity" is seasonality.

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Subscriber Exclusive Content. Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars? Yet in , there were 1, cases reported in the U. Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases still occur when too few individuals in a population are vaccinated. Outbreaks often begin with an imported case someone who was travelling outside the U. These infected people then expose unprotected people to the disease. For example you need two measles, mumps, and rubella MMR injections to be adequately protected.

Some people may only receive one and mistakenly believe they are protected. Some people may object because of religious reasons, and others are fearful of potential side effects or are skeptical about the benefits of vaccines.

One of the drawbacks of herd immunity is that people who have the same beliefs about vaccinations frequently live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, or attend the same religious services, so there could be potentially large groups of unvaccinated people close together.

Once the percentage of vaccinated individuals in a population drops below the herd immunity threshold, an exposure to a contagious disease could spread very quickly throughout the community. Talk to your healthcare provider.