While the country might not be feeling the immediate impact just yet, COVID-19 vaccination efforts improved significantly in the U.S. last week.

Why 70%?While there’s still no clear percentage of the population necessary to reach herd immunity for COVID-19, 70% is a good place to start. Herd immunity refers to the protectiveness achieved when a significant portion of a population develops immunity to an infectious disease, either through vaccination or having a prior illness. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, used to say 60% to 70% of the population needed to be vaccinated or recovered to reach herd immunity,his projection has evolvedto range from 70% to 90%.Herd immunity is a complex calculation that relies on both past infections and number of people vaccinated. Because the World Health Organization emphasizes herd immunity should rely on vaccination and not disease exposure,for the sake of projections, our numbers focus on the time it will take to hit 70% through vaccination alone.

Why 70%?

While there’s still no clear percentage of the population necessary to reach herd immunity for COVID-19, 70% is a good place to start. Herd immunity refers to the protectiveness achieved when a significant portion of a population develops immunity to an infectious disease, either through vaccination or having a prior illness. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, used to say 60% to 70% of the population needed to be vaccinated or recovered to reach herd immunity,his projection has evolvedto range from 70% to 90%.Herd immunity is a complex calculation that relies on both past infections and number of people vaccinated. Because the World Health Organization emphasizes herd immunity should rely on vaccination and not disease exposure,for the sake of projections, our numbers focus on the time it will take to hit 70% through vaccination alone.

While there’s still no clear percentage of the population necessary to reach herd immunity for COVID-19, 70% is a good place to start. Herd immunity refers to the protectiveness achieved when a significant portion of a population develops immunity to an infectious disease, either through vaccination or having a prior illness. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, used to say 60% to 70% of the population needed to be vaccinated or recovered to reach herd immunity,his projection has evolvedto range from 70% to 90%.

Herd immunity is a complex calculation that relies on both past infections and number of people vaccinated. Because the World Health Organization emphasizes herd immunity should rely on vaccination and not disease exposure,for the sake of projections, our numbers focus on the time it will take to hit 70% through vaccination alone.

What’s Speeding Up the Timeline?

Without a significant increase in the number of vaccines available, how have states been making progress toward herd immunity? The short answer: more people have been getting theirfirstdose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The more people who get vaccinated, the more effectively community COVID-19 spread can be reduced. Therefore, an increase in first doses nudges a state a little further along the herd immunity timeline than an increase in second doses.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that over the last seven days, a higher proportion of available vaccines went to first doses (roughly 57%) than second doses (roughly 43%). States like South Dakota, Rhode Island, and New Mexico had the greatest percent change in people with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is why they’re tracking so well toward fully vaccinating 70% of their populations.

The number of people being vaccinated for the first time may have spiked because COVID-19 vaccines only recently became easier to get. February 11 marked the debut of a federal retail pharmacy program, connecting both national pharmacy chains and independent pharmacies with states and territories.This means places like Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Publix can administer COVID-19 vaccines. People may be more likely to opt for a vaccine if they’re familiar with the vaccination site.

COVID-19 Vaccines Set To Ship To Retail Pharmacies Across the Country

Alaska Takes a Significant Lead

On a per capita level, Alaska has administered the full two-dose vaccine regimen to over 11% of its population, nearly doubling the national cadence. In spite of its sparse population and lack of transportation infrastructure, the state is getting the job done thanks to two unique advantages:

Unique distribution approaches have benefited Hawaii over the past week as well. Contrary to advice from the Department of Health and Human Services, Hawaii withheld new rounds of first vaccine doses until second doses were administered to people who needed them—mostly adults over age 75.

CDC: COVID Vaccine Doses Can Be Spaced Up to 6 Weeks Apart

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States.

World Health Organization.Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Herd immunity, lockdowns and COVID-19.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pharmacies Participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.State of Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Guidelines.

Berman A.52,900 more doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be headed to Alaska in January.Anchorage Daily News.

Kawano L.Second vaccine shots for large group of seniors could limit distribution of first doses.Hawaii News Now.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?