Vaccination rate of 70% by the end of the pandemic

Just because the state is open and we’ve reached our goal of vaccinating 70% of the population aged 16 and over with at least one dose doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over – or that it will be soon, warn health officials.

Washington State Secretary of Health Dr Umair Shah told the Department of Health briefing on Wednesday that we were far from completely back to normal. He advised people to remember to continue to take precautions like wearing masks and avoiding gatherings indoors, especially if they are not vaccinated.

“We are probably going to live with this virus for a long time – it will not go away in the foreseeable future,” he said. “And so it’s really essential for us to keep that in mind and be ready for it.”

Reopening does not mean collective immunity for Washington, scientists warn

While 70% was the goal of the vaccine, heads of state say it is not enough to declare collective immunity because it is not even 70% distributed everywhere. There are still pockets of people across the state who are largely unvaccinated. A look at the Washington counties map on the Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard shows a range of vaccination rates ranging from 75% in San Juan County to just under 27% in County of San Juan. Garfield.

Shah is particularly concerned about the spread of variants, which occurs most rapidly in communities with low vaccination rates.

“We don’t want to see the story of two companies – those that are vaccinated and protected, and those that are not vaccinated and therefore unprotected,” he said.

Although he said the Delta variant does not appear to be resistant to vaccines in Washington – because it does not manifest overwhelmingly in revolutionary cases – it has dramatically increased its prevalence from 5% to 40% of cases. He noted that those who are not vaccinated are prime targets for the variants.

“The best way to protect yourself, whatever the strain, is to get vaccinated,” he insisted.

Shah looks towards the fall and winter months, when people will start to gather inside again, with trepidation. Last winter’s third wave, the highest wave ever, began in October when the weather changed and outdoor socializing took hold in warm homes.

“We want to get people vaccinated over the next two or three months,” Shah said. “When the weather starts to get colder, when we start to bring people inside, if people are not vaccinated in the winter, we are potentially going to have additional clusters and epidemics that could have been preventable.”

It is too early, he added, to know the exact percentage of people who need to be vaccinated to really beat the virus.

“Once everyone is eligible, basically six months and older – at the moment it’s obviously only 12 and over – when everyone is eligible, then we’ll really get a feel for how many. people fully protected against this virus, including our children, “he said.” Hopefully we can participate in this race against time before winter.

Otherwise, if children still can’t get vaccinated, if the vaccination rate does not continue to rise well beyond 70%, and if variants start to break through in vaccines, we could be heading for another wave. and more restrictions, Shah warned.

Michele Roberts, acting deputy secretary of the department, said that ultimately the end of COVID-19 in Washington will also depend on what happens in the world.

“The virus will be with us until we see high vaccination rates around the world,” Roberts said. “We always say that with vaccine-preventable diseases, they’re only a plane flight away.”

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