Sen. Marshall bullish on COVID vaccines, says U.S. could reach herd immunity by May
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall projected on Friday that the United States could attain herd immunity against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in the next three months, a more optimistic timeline than other government officials have predicted.
“I think we could attain herd immunity by April or May if our president’s team does their job, if our governor’s team does their job,” Marshall said in an impromptu news conference after touring Sedgwick County’s vaccination center in the former Central Library.
Herd immunity is achieved when enough of the population has either been vaccinated, or acquired immunity by surviving the disease, so that any outbreaks among the unvaccinated fizzle out quickly due to the lack of hosts.
About 75 to 80 percent of U.S. residents need to be immunized to achieve herd immunity, according to a recent estimate by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s point man on the pandemic. Fauci projects that could occur sometime in the fall.
Marshall, a physician before he entered politics, estimated that 25% to 50% of Americans have already had the virus, which can confer immunity to the disease, and millions more are getting protected by vaccines on a daily basis.
“So I do think it’s feasible to get to herd immunity by April or May, I think it’s feasible we have this economy back and roaring just like it was before the pandemic,” he said. “This cold, dark dreary winter’s almost over.”
Marshall has been fully vaccinated with one of the two-shot regimens that, reportedly gives 90%-plus immunity, so he wasn’t shy about hugs and handshakes.
And he had a pep talk for some of Friday’s vaccine recipients, as they sat in socially distanced chairs during the mandatory 15-minute observation period after the shot.
“We’re gonna beat this virus; we’re gonna do it,” he shouted to the crowd.
He also had a message for people on the fence about getting vaccinated.
“Even if you’re not going to get the vaccine for (protecting) yourself, get it so you can go see your grandparents, get it to protect your children,” he said. “There’s lots of reasons to get it done.”
The county Health Department has vaccinated nearly 41,000 people, a little less 10% of the adult population, officials said.
Another 15,000 or so have been vaccinated through other channels, including hospitals, pharmacies and federally qualified health clinics.
The county clinic is running at 1,400 to 1,600 shots a day and could be delivering 1,900 by next week, health director Adrienne Byrne said.
County commissioner David Dennis told Marshall that the only real hold-back on getting everyone who wants the vaccine vaccinated is a supply issue.
Marshall said he hears that and agrees.
He said the federal approval of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, expected as early as Saturday, should bring another 4 million doses into the mix in short order. Pfizer and Moderna, the companies that already have vaccine approval, have been increasing production as well, Marshall said.
The one potential holdback for Kansas is a lag in recording its vaccination progress, because the federal distribution program favors states that show the most efficiency in getting the drugs into people’s arms, Marshall said.
“We have to do a better job of bragging on ourselves and getting that data entered so we can get more vaccines here,” he said.
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 8:24 PM.
