Modern medicine has given us the answer key to the COVID-19 test, but it’s going to take a complete community effort if we’re ever going to pass it.
Coming into this week, less than 25% of Bartholomew County residents were fully vaccinated — a tick above the state average — with roughly 35% of the county’s total population receiving at least one shot.
Those numbers trail most of the nation, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that half of U.S. adults had received at least one dose by this past Sunday. As a state, Indiana was ranked 42nd in the country for both the number of first and second doses administered on Monday.
Most infectious disease experts agree that at least 70% to 80% of the population will need to be immunized to achieve herd immunity, which is between 58,000 and 67,000 people for Bartholomew County.
At the current rate, it could be predicted that herd immunity in the county will be established by August. Unfortunately, that isn’t likely to happen as those 16 and older are the only ones able to get inoculated.
Currently, around 66,180 people in Bartholomew County are aged 16 and up, or about 79% of the county’s population. Conversely, about 89% of local residents who meet current age requirements would need to get immunized for the county to reach 70%.
The two biggest obstacles we face in achieving herd immunity are the lack of urgency by those that have already contracted the virus and vaccine hesitancy.
The world’s leading medical experts have proven that those who have already caught COVID-19 aren’t immune to catching it again, and with new variants emerging it’s increasingly likely that those not vaccinated will get sick a second or third time.
In addition, experts believe immunity lasts six months or fewer if you catch the virus. The largest surge in cases was this past November, so within the next several weeks it’s not unrealistic to think that we could see another bump in cases.
It has also been proven that the risks of getting the vaccine are minuscule, but the payoff can be life-saving. Getting the vaccine remains the best way to prevent serious illness or death.
There aren’t any excuses left for citizens to get vaccinated. There are mass clinics across the state, with some not even requiring pre-registration.
Bartholomew County has done a pretty good job of keeping numbers low throughout the pandemic, but a big push is still needed to get over the hump. Hopefully more locals will do their due diligence and get vaccinated ASAP.
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Call 211 or visit ourshot.in.gov to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination.
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