The Inevitable Politicization of Herd Immunity
The trend lines for U.S. emergence from the pandemic this spring look very promising. After a storm-related lull, vaccinations are ramping up to nearly 2.5 million shots a day. There is every reason to believe that number will increase in March. The Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine immediately unlocks another couple million doses of available vaccine.
By the end of March, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson have pledged to have a combined 240 million doses available for Americans. Add that to the number already vaccinated (and those recovering from covid-19 and therefore also immune) and suddenly talk about being “at an inflection point” starts to feel real.