SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out, there is a semblance of hope that restrictions will loosen as more people get vaccinated. But local experts say a lot more people need to be vaccinated before any changes happen.
The goal of the vaccine is to decrease the infection rate.
When enough people are immune to the virus, it cannot spread as quickly. That means the more people who get the vaccine, building up antibodies to COVID-19, the safer the community will be.
At this point, experts are not sure exactly what percent of the population needs the vaccine to make a difference. But they know it will be a majority of the population.
“We just recommend that if you can get it you should get it. Do your part and increase percentage of people covered so that we can get to that level, whatever it may, be quickly,” Kayla Meyers, Health Program Specialist at the Spokane Regional Health District, said.
As of January 9, Spokane County had enough vaccines to vaccinate just 6 percent of the population. Experts say it's not nearly enough vaccinations yet.
The state’s goal was to have all the 1A and 1B categories of people vaccinated by March. That might seem like a long time, but Meyers said as the vaccine rollout continues, the state will become more efficient.
In the meantime, though, SRHD is urging people to continue practicing covid-19 guidelines.