As demand for the COVID-19 vaccine begins to decline throughout the state, some local health officials say herd immunity may not be as achievable as they once hoped.
For nearly a year now, people have put their sights on reaching the point when enough people have antibodies from being infected or receiving a vaccine to ultimately stop the spread of the virus and end the pandemic. National leaders said that number could be anywhere between 70% and 90%.
Now, health officials are saying there’s no clear indication on when – or if – the country and smaller communities within it will reach herd immunity. Even after more than 50% of Americans have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, about a quarter of Americans still say they don’t plan on getting vaccinated, making large-scale immunity nearly impossible.
Brunswick County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, and its emergency services is working hard to keep up with that growth.
In 2017, the StarNews reported that Brunswick County EMS was in need of additional ambulances to keep up with the population growth. Four years later, the population is still growing rapidly right alongside the nationwide shortage of health care professionals.
Edward Conrow, the Brunswick County EMS director for two years with more than 30 years of EMS experience said, Nationwide, everyone is going through the same thing. We are always working to keep a full staff, and I don t think that s unique to anybody (working in similar fields).