Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shares the possibility of at least one effective vaccine to be available by the end of the year. However, with the daily numbers of America's cases and the fact that many Americans refuse to get a vaccine, he also said he would settle for on that is 70% to 75% effective.
Experts had hoped that the pandemic would eventually reach herd immunity, or when the majority of a population becomes immune to an infectious disease that has already been accomplished with diseases such as chickenpox, measles, mumps, and polio.
Yet, the world is far from obtaining herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2, which would occur of at least 70% of the population becomes immune to the virus. Fauci said that it is unlikely for the United States to achieve a high enough percentage of immunity for the outbreak to stop.
Settling For 70% to 75%
When asked how effective the COVID-19 vaccine might be, since the flu vaccine is only around 40% to 60% protective most of the time, he said that remains uncertain. There is still plenty of testing to be done.
'The best we've ever done is measles, which is 97 to 98 percent effective,' said Fauci. 'That would be wonderful if we get there. I don't think we will. I would settle for [a] 70, 75% effective vaccine.'
At that level, it would be possible to achieve herd immunity, he explained, assuming that 100% of Americans would get the vaccine. Unfortunately, a poll from CNN by SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) in May resulted in 33% of Americans saying they would not try to get vaccinated against the virus. With only 66% of the population getting a 70% to 75% efficiently protective coronavirus vaccine, it is not likely that America will achieve herd immunity, said Dr. Fauci.
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Education About Vaccines
He also said that 'there is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country -- an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking.' The government is working on educating people about vaccines, which is a difficult feat.
'We have a program right now that's going to be extensive in reaching out to the community,' he said. People are prone to reject the government telling them to get a vaccine, but might listen to people within their community such as local heroes and sports figures, although the government has not announced a new program yet.
He went on to rank how well states have been handling the outbreak, saying that New York is doing 'really well' and not mentioning which states are graded 'C'. Although he understands people's need to socialize in person, he still warns that they should remain cautious, especially for those who had been infected or remain asymptomatic. 'The fact that you got infected means that it's likely that you'll infect someone else who might infect someone else who then will infect a vulnerable person.' Fauci said.
