| You're right, of course, that there are unknowns. A couple of points to remember: (1) Herd immunity is of epidemiological interest rather than personal. Even if 90% of people are immune, if you get infected, that's not good. What IS significant is that there will be plenty of space in the hospital to give you all the resources and staff that can be brought to bear on making you well. (This is the case in NYC right now. This is, tragically, NOT the case in Florida et al. (2) Herd immunity is a goal on a continuum, not a point that must be passed to have any meaning. Every additional percent means fewer people will die, both because they themselves are immune, and also because of (1) above. Does anyone doubt that we are in a more manageable place with half the people fully vaccinated (and more partly so, etc) than we would be fighting Delta with 0% vaccinated? Extrapolate and you will understand where we are and where we are hopefully headed. |
