Herd Immunity

The omicron wave that assaulted the United States this winter also bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less — if any — dramatic disruption to society.

A new CDC study found that vaccines offer more protection from COVID-19 than antibodies from a previous infection. Researchers found that adults who had recently recovered from COVID-19 but remained unvaccinated were more than 5 times more likely to catch the coronavirus than adults who were vaccinated and had never had COVID-19.

“It’s important to vaccinate the immunocompromised…but also the people around the immunocompromised, so that they don’t end up spreading the infection to them. So that we create a protective cocoon around these people until we reach herd immunity,” says Dr. Sravanti Teegavarapu of the Baylor College of Medicine.

Herd immunity is possible – but we have to vaccinate the unvaccinated. About 97 percent of hospitalized COVID patients right now are unvaccinated, a sign that vaccines will help us reach herd immunity, says Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The COVID-19 vaccination drive is falling far behind in the deeply religious and conservative Amish communities across the U.S. The Amish don’t have any religious beliefs that forbid them from getting vaccines

Some public health experts question whether next week is too soon to reopen based on the state’s herd immunity timeline.

The Bay Area may be approaching a COVID-19 turning point — herd immunity. Experts say it doesn’t mean the virus will disappear, but it will have a harder time spreading.

The Bay Area may be approaching a COVID-19 turning point — Herd immunity. Experts say it doesn’t mean the virus will disappear, but it will have a harder time spreading. Jean Elle reports.

Adam Bergeron is looking forward to reopening the Balboa Theater, the independent movie theater in San Francisco he owns and operates.

Health officials say vaccine hesitancy is the biggest challenge to reach herd immunity, but local experts believe COVID-19 case rates can still decrease enough for a return to normal.

Health officials say vaccine hesitancy is the biggest challenge to reach herd immunity, but local experts believe COVID-19 case rates can still reduce enough for a return to normal. Ian Cull reports.

UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong joins NBC Bay Area to talk about the fight against COVID-19 and the possibility of herd immunity being reached.

Millions of health care workers, volunteers, and lawmakers have been working hard for months to make sure every American who qualifies to get the COVID-19 vaccine can get it in order to reach herd immunity. Anoushah Rasta reports.

Millions have been working hard for months to make sure every American who qualifies to get the COVID-19 vaccine can get it in order to reach herd immunity. But a new study from the Kaiser Foundation warns they may have a new problem: not enough people who want to get the vaccine.

When asked on Friday about what percentage of the U.S. will need to be vaccinated in order to reach herd immunity, Dr. Anthony Fauci said the number is still unknown, saying, “I think we need to get away from waiting for this mystical, elusive number and just say to get as many people as we possibly can get vaccinated, as...

Are enough people willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine for the globe to reach herd immunity? Scientists say it will be difficult but not impossible. But if we make it, it’s still years away.

Are enough people willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine for the globe to reach herd immunity? Scientists say it will be difficult but not impossible. But if we make it, it’s still years away. Lili Tan reports.

As more and more of the United States population gets vaccinated against COVID-19, many are wondering when will enough people be vaccinated for life to return to normal?

There’s a lot of talk these days about how herd immunity will be our ticket out of the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know about what herd immunity is and how we get it.

The COVID-19 vaccine could be arriving next week. But don’t be fooled, we’re not in the clear. Masks and social distancing will still be the norm for months. So what needs to happen for us to get back to normal? Joe Rosato Jr. reports.