(WXYZ) — The US has hit a major milestone now that 50% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated. But COVID vaccine rates have recently slowed to a crawl. And experts are concerned that unvaccinated people are relying on the vaccinated for protection.
Let me be very clear, unvaccinated people should not rely on the vaccinated public for protection. It’s a bad idea.
Just because we now have half of the adult population vaccinated, and case numbers are down, doesn’t mean that the risk is not there. In fact, a recent analysis found that the risk was just a high as it was in January for those who haven’t yet been immunized to COVID-19.
What’s also concerning to me, is that a recent poll found a drop in those who were social distancing. So if unvaccinated people are gathering, and not taking precautions, then anyone who is infected could easily spread the virus to others. And with Memorial Day weekend just ahead of us, this could lead to more spread - just like what we had last year - if precautions are not taken by those who are unvaccinated.
VAccination rates are much lower for younger people. I’ll share with you the most recent demographic data. According to the CDC:
- 7.6% of 18 to 24-year-olds have received at least one dose, while
- 1.7% of 16- to 17-year-olds have received at least one dose, and lastly,
- 1.4% of 12 to 15-year olds have received at least one dose.
Now, I know that many think that younger people don’t need to get the shots. Because they’re not at risk like older folks are.
While that’s true, kids can still get ill. Some become long haulers with lasting symptoms, thousands have been hospitalized and sadly hundreds have died. Plus, there are plenty of kids still getting infected, just last week they accounted for 20% of new cases.
For us to reach herd immunity and get this pandemic reined in, we really need the younger generations vaccinated. We’ve got to box in this virus to cut its chances of spreading and mutating into something more dangerous. And getting the younger ones vaccinated is key.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, COVID-19 vaccines are effective and safe for people 12 years of age and up. And getting the shots are a great way to get our lives back normal again.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
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