Across The Country, Vaccine Hesitancy Is Melting

     The United States is on track to surpass 70 percent of its total population partially vaccinated by the end of the month and fully vaccinated by the end of the year. This is the milestone we have been waiting for. Those who were wondering why the pandemic was not over in August failed to see that it takes more than 70 percent partial vaccination of those over 18 to end the pandemic. 70 percent of ALL Americans need to be FULLY vaccinated, and that included waiting for vaccines to be approved for kids ages five through 17. 99.9 percent of elderly people and 83.33 percent of people 18 and older should be fully vaccinated by the end of the year.

     This is huge, but even this in itself is not enough to end the pandemic. To do this, the progress needs to be national; that is, each and every state needs to surpass 70 percent vaccination of its residents. There have always been a few states that have been leaders in vaccination: Hawaii, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. However, almost every state is now beginning to see their vaccination pace pick up rapidly. The map above is simple: the darker the blue, the higher rate of residents vaccinated. California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, and Florida fall into the second-highest vaccination rate category. Wisconsin and Illinois take up the middle. Many other states across the nation have moved up at least one category this month: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Montana, and Alaska are among those states. This leaves Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana as the states that are trailing.

     Nationwide, the progress is undeniable. However, at the state level in dozens of states, an equally important miracle is happening. Vaccine hesitancy, in spite of political games over vaccines as well as misinformation and disinformation growing louder, in melting. Now is not the time to be content. Now is the time to keep pushing until every state passes the 70 percent milestone and the nation as a whole reaches an 80 or even 90 percent vaccination rate. Our economy is roaring back to life; we can't adjust to the catastrophic death toll of this horrible disease.