It's time to take a second look at the original herd strategy

[Shermann]

That is basically where you keep everything open and let the pandemic wash over the population to get naturally acquired immunity from infections.

Thankfully, it was largely shunned in favor of science and shutdowns last year.

However, now the landscape has changed in 2021. We've done the hard work to develop and test the vaccines while keep the economy on ice without tanking it. However, vaccine hesitancy may prevent us from reaching herd immunity. The rate at which immunity wears off could match the rate that variants are spreading. It could mean an endless plateau of cases with frequent outbreaks.

The original herd strategy could be the answer. There is little more science can do. After everybody who wants the vaccine gets it, open everything up and let the pandemic wash over everybody else. Cases will surge briefly instead of plateauing and we'll close the gap to herd immunity.

So the Republican governors may inadvertently be on the right track here.

[Mme. Defarge]

1. One word.

Variants.

[Phoenix61]

2. Beat me to it. nt

[greenjar_01]

6. I think most people will be moving on with their lives by mid-summer

Variants aren't going to put us in never-ending shutdown cycles.

Basta.

[Justice matters.]

13. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna Vaccines Effective Against Variants (Study)

https://www.biospace.com/article/pfizer-biontech-and-moderna-vaccines-effective-against-variants-and-more-covid-19-news/

But we can't force the 70% repugs who don't want them to get them. Let them deal with their own choices...

[ahimsa]

3. There are a lot of people...

.. who are immunosuppressed that probably won’t get as much protection from vaccines. We might be dooming them to never-ending lockdowns and mask wearing. Of course, that might already be the case.

[underpants]

4. I'd look at it from another direction- some people will never get vaccinated

Some never were going to but Fox News et al has expanded that number. At some point we have to stop waiting for them. Very selfish on their part.

[Shermann]

8. When I say vaccine hesitancy I mean vaccine hesitancy plus vaccine resistance

There is a subtle difference, but in the context of this conversation they are equivalent

[JI7]

5. They thought they had herd immunity in India

[Shermann]

7. Who is "they"?

India's recorded case numbers are nowhere near herd immunity levels

[JI7]

9. Idiot Govt.

[LisaL]

10. How could they have thought that?

They have over a billion people, did they really think 70% of them had gotten infected in the first wave?

[JI7]

12. Maybe not exactly herd immunity but some thought they had natural immunity to it

[FakeNoose]

11. They need to be told the truth: Chump was vaccinated before he left office

Whether or not he actually HAD Covid we'll never know. It could have all been an attention-getting stunt. But he DID get vaccinated while he was still in the White House. I think it happened in December, and it barely made a ripple in the media.

All these stupid MAGAts need to be told so they will finally realize that he's been lying to them all along. Come on already! It's a matter of record.

[cinematicdiversions]

14. All the republican leadership has been vaccinated.

In fact, I personally don;t know a single adult that has not been vaccinated. Republican or democrat. I think the unvaccinated mob are the zombies is this scenario. Uneducated rubes and the poor.

[liberal_mama]

15. Many states, including New York, plan to open fully by July. I think they are giving people

who want the vaccine time to get it. In New York, it's easy to get a vaccine now. If these fools refuse, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

[Shermann]

16. Call it what you want: herd here we come! nt