At least one midwestern state could see coronavirus herd immunity by this summer, according to a health official there.
Julie Willems Van Dijk, the deputy state health secretary in Wisconsin, said Thursday that the state should have enough COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June to vaccinate some 80% of residents age 16 and older. If this occurs, the state could achieve herd immunity by July, she said, according to a local report.
To date, about 13% of Wisconsin residents are considered fully vaccinated, while an estimated 23% have received at least one dose.
Vaccine eligibility expanded in the state on Monday, with those ages 16 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions now able to get the vaccine. However, state health officials, in line with a directive from President Joe Biden, expect to make all residents ages 16 and older eligible by May 1, regardless if they have an underlying health condition or not.
In Wisconsin, more people have now been vaccinated against COVID-19 than have been infected by it, according to state health data.
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The majority of vaccines have been administered to residents 65 years of age and older. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services in a recent tweet noted that 1 in 3 Wisconsinites 65 and older have been vaccinated.
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