With the higher transmissibility of the Delta variant, the herd immunity threshold will now require an estimated at 90% of Americans to be immune to the coronavirus. And that will require nearly all kids and teenagers to be vaccinated, which leads us to the results of last month’s survey, which was featured in the Monthly Musings on American Healthcare newsletter.
Analysis: If this data were representative of our nation’s overall sentiment, I’d be encouraged. More likely, it reflects the medical knowledge of Monthly Musings subscribers, which exceeds the norm.
To date, these numbers are 20 to 30 percentage points higher than vaccination rates among students currently eligible. And these numbers are much higher than what we see in national polling that feature parents of children ages 5 to 11.
Many who read this newsletter already know that the more people we vaccinate the lower the risk of Covid-19 spreading and continuing to mutate. Higher rates of vaccination for all will help protect our nation’s youngest, including those who don’t yet qualify for the vaccine, as well as the oldest Americans whose immunity is likely to wan fastest.
Thanks too those who participated in the voting. To weigh in on future surveys, and for access to timely news and opinion on American healthcare, sign up for my free (and ad-free) newsletter Monthly Musings on American Healthcare.
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Dr. Robert Pearl is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, the nation’s largest physician group. He’s a Forbes contributor, bestselling author, Stanford University professor, and host of two healthcare podcasts. Pearl’s newest book, “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients,” is available now. Follow him on Twitter @RobertPearlMD.
