The delta variant of coronavirus has pushed the threshold for herd immunity over 80%, with the Infectious Diseases Society of America anticipating it to be even approaching 90%.
The idea of herd immunity suggests that once a certain percentage of the population has been vaccinated against the coronavirus or developed antibodies due to getting infected, it will reduce transmission and protect the broader population.
Richard Franco, an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said that the new threshold represents a much higher bar than previous estimates of 60-70%. The higher transmissibility of the delta is behind this change. He added that it is becoming clear that the delta variant is way more dangerous than the original version of coronavirus, reported Bloomberg.
The CDC data shows that nearly 60% of Americans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 50% have been fully vaccinated. However, some reports show that vaccinated people are also getting infected by the delta variant. Some even spread it to others when they themselves do not show any symptoms.
Meanwhile, US top coronavirus adviser Dr Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said that the country is likely to see the number of Covid-19 cases double due to the delta variant.