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The United States won’t achieve herd immunity until children can get vaccinated, said Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci previously estimated that we need 75% to 85% of the population to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. But 22.3% of the population is under the age of 18, according to the latest data from the U.S Census Bureau. That means it will be impossible to hit Fauci’s target without them.
“We don’t really know what that magical point of herd immunity is, but we do know that if we get the overwhelming population vaccinated, we’re going to be in good shape,” said Dr. Fauci, according to CNN. “We ultimately would like to get, and have to get, children into that mix.”
Dr. Fauci projects that high school students will be able to start getting vaccinated in the fall of 2021, and children 12 and younger may be able to get their shots starting in the first quarter of 2022.