Many Americans are ready to let down their guard after a year-plus of COVID-19 restrictions, but less than half in the U.S. are fully vaccinated despite months of pleading from public health experts. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are ticking up again, although they remain much lower than 2020 levels. So, what will happen with coronavirus in the United States over the next few months? Dr. David Hamer, an attending physician at Boston Medical Center, and Dr. Shira Doron, hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, joined Jim Braude to discuss.
Both Hamer and Doron said the Delta variant could pose a risk to unvaccinated people even in a highly vaccinated state like Massachusetts.
“With this Delta variant being so incredibly contagious, that changes the calculation in terms of when we can expect to see that herd immunity — that elusive herd immunity. We don’t know what percentage of the population needs to be immune to get there, but it’s going to be very high,” Doron said. “Eventually though, whether it’s through vaccination or infection, we will get there.”
On the question of masks, both doctors said that even vaccinated people could consider wearing masks again for their own personal protection if they want to, although it’s not necessarily mandatory.
“The data are showing that the vaccines are very, very effective even against the Delta variant,” Doron said. “And I think that we have moved into a place where personal choice is really what should drive behavior. And some people, as they should, feel very protected by their vaccine and are ok with the possibility of getting mild illness for the purpose of getting back to their pre-pandemic life. And other people are more risk averse and should wear a mask even if they’re vaccinated in a crowded indoor space.”
“I believe the science suggests that one doesn’t need to wear a mask to be safe if fully vaccinated,” she said.
WATCH: What will happen to COVID-19 cases this summer?
