Health expert pushes back on Texas governor's herd immunity claim

[DonViejo]

BY DOMINICK MASTRANGELO - 04/12/21 08:14 AM EDT

A leading health expert is swatting down a claim from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) that his state will soon reach herd immunity from the coronavirus.

“We absolutely are not declaring victory at this time. We remain very vigilant and guarded and proactive in our response, but there is simple math behind the reason why still we continue to have success,” Abbott said on "Fox News Sunday," adding later that "very simply, it’s a whole lot more difficult for COVID-19 to be spreading to other people in the state of Texas.”

“I don’t know what herd immunity is, but when you add that to the people who have immunity, it looks like it could be very close to herd immunity,” Abbott added. But Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy who advised President Joe Biden's coronavirus team, cast doubt on Abbott's estimation.

“There is no way on God’s green earth that Texas is anywhere even close to herd immunity," Osterholm told The New York Times. "Look no further than Michigan and Minnesota, which have much higher rates of vaccination than Texas. And we’re already seeing widespread transmission.”

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/547633-health-expert-pushes-back-on-texas-governors-herd-immunity-claim

[dalton99a]

1. Abbott is full of shit

as usual

[lark]

2. Sun rises.

Repugs act stupidly with covid to try and kill the libs/poor/working class thinking that they are so rich they can withstand this and don't give a shit about anyone but the rich.

[area51]

3. Both TX gov. & lt. gov. are sociopaths,

and don't forget Texas refuses to expand Medicaid.