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But, Dr Anthony Fauci said people were too focused on thinking about herd immunity – the point at which enough people are protected from the virus to suppress the spread – for this new coronavirus.
“I think we should be careful not to marry this concept of collective immunity because we really don’t know precisely, for this virus in particular, what it is,” Fauci said in a hearing. of the Senate.
Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he estimated that between 70% and 85% of the population would need to be vaccinated or immunized against the virus to get to the point of collective immunity. .
“We don’t really know what the magic point of herd immunity is, but we do know that if we get the overwhelming population vaccinated, we’ll be in good shape. We would ultimately like and must have children. in this mix, ”Fauci said at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
He said that when high school students are vaccinated, the United States could achieve herd immunity.
More and more states are expanding the number of people eligible to be vaccinated. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said residents 50 and older will be eligible starting Monday and the state plans to expand access to vaccines to all citizens 16 and older “in just a few weeks “.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said that starting March 29, vaccination will be available to adults in areas critical to economic recovery and that starting April 9, all adults will be able to get the vaccine.
Illinois will extend to all residents 16 and over on April 12, Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that starting Monday, providers are expected to include people 50 and older.
Experts worry about where numbers are going
But even with the increase in vaccinations, the United States could be on the cusp of a new wave of Covid-19 cases, according to an expert.
“I think we are going to see an increase in the number of infections,” emergency doctor Dr Leana Wen told CNN on Wednesday evening. “I think what’s helping this time around is that the most vulnerable – especially nursing home residents, older people – are now vaccinated. And that way we could avoid a spike in hospitalizations and death.”
Meanwhile, governors and local leaders relaxed restrictions on indoor gatherings, citing fewer Covid-19 cases and more vaccinations. And spring break crowds are gathering in Florida and other Gulf Coast states, and the number of nationwide air travel is reaching pandemic-era highs.
However, Wen still has his concerns.
“I think we’re going to see an increase in the number of infections, but not necessarily an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, which is still a very good thing,” she told CNN on Thursday. “But we also note that many governors will not reimpose the restrictions unless we see our hospitals overwhelmed.
“So we might see a situation where many more infections are beyond the ability of our vaccines to work and people let their guard down but don’t have the restrictions in place to curb it. And I’m afraid we lose that breed of variants from vaccines as a result. “
In schools, 3 feet is the new 6 feet
The CDC is expected to update its physical distance guidelines for 6-foot to 3-foot schools on Friday, an administration official confirmed to CNN.
The 3-foot passage is essential for reopening schools safely, as most do not have the space for 6 feet apart with all students present. An analysis of reopening studies released last week found that school districts in Indiana, Virginia and Massachusetts have all adopted a standard of 3 feet instead of 6 feet.
These states “haven’t seen a wave of cases that you would expect if somehow this protection were less adequate,” wrote John Bailey, education and policy specialist.
At the Senate hearing on Thursday, CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said the science on this issue has evolved over time.
“Indeed, because 6ft has been such a challenge out there, science has looked into it and there are now studies emerging on the issue between 3ft and 6ft,” she told the Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine. “This is an urgent matter.”
Nearly 1 in 8 Americans fully immunized
Meanwhile, vaccinations have sped up as officials rush to get as many gun hits as possible as quickly as possible.
But challenges – including vaccine reluctance, misinformation and inequalities – remain.
The United States is expected to have plenty of vaccines on hand soon and will need to start persuading people reluctant to get vaccinated, a senior health and human services department official said on Thursday.
“We will, within 90 days, have essentially quadrupled our vaccine supply,” Dr. David Kessler, scientific director of the COVID response at the HHS, said during the Senate hearing. “I think we’re going to go from a supply problem to a demand problem soon.”
In addition, the CDC will soon release more advice on what people can do safely once they are fully immunized, Walensky said.
“We are re-examining what we should do regarding travel for those who are vaccinated and it should happen soon. It will probably be the next step in this regard,” Walensky said.
The problem is not what is safe for those who are vaccinated, but what is safe for their contacts, she said.
“We are still looking for data to find out whether people who have been vaccinated can be infected asymptomatically and potentially pass to other people,” Walensky said. Doctors note that vaccinated people can potentially still breathe the virus and have it live in their nose and throat – and could breathe out, cough or sneeze the infectious virus on others.
Steve Almasy, Melissa Alonso, Adrienne Broaddus, Chris Boyette, Elizabeth Cohen, Deidre McPhillips, Brandon Miller, Nick Neville, Rebekah Riess and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.
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