Dallas County reaches herd immunity even as new COVID cases continue to hold steady, experts say
Dallas County crossed a major threshold in its fight to curb the coronavirus pandemic this week, reaching herd immunity on July 4, according to a nonprofit that tracks health data for the county.
At least 80% of the county’s residents have either natural immunity from previously contracting COVID-19 or are vaccinated, officials at the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation said in a statement Wednesday.
While celebrating the public health goal, officials at the center and elsewhere stressed continued caution as new strains of the virus — especially the delta variant — continue to take hold here and vaccination rates remain stagnant.
“Reaching the 80 percent herd immunity rate is not like flipping a switch, but a continuum in our journey,” said Steve Miff, the center’s CEO. “It is an important accomplishment, which is a credit to the residents and public health leaders who have committed themselves to crush COVID.”
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2021/07/07/dallas-county-reaches-herd-immunity-even-as-new-covid-cases-continue-to-hold-steady-experts-say/