Sound Publishing file photo
Remi Frederick, a Village Green employee, receives her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Jan. 26 in Federal Way.

Sound Publishing file photo Remi Frederick, a Village Green employee, receives her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Jan. 26 in Federal Way.

County health officer looks to community immunity instead of herd immunity

Herd immunity may be unlikely to reach King County anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean that people living in the county won’t be able to resume something similar to a pre-pandemic life sooner.

That’s according to Jeff Duchin, the county’s public health officer, who in a press conference on April 30 said he’s focusing on reaching community immunity instead. The rundown is basically this: herd immunity means COVID-19 can’t spread effectively from person to person across the population because enough people have immunity, either from a vaccine or natural infection.

It sounds ideal, but most experts think that to reach herd immunity — long the stated end goal of curtailing the pandemic — some 80% to 90% of people must be vaccinated or previously infected. That’s likely to remain a far-off goal, considering that only 38.9% of Washingtonians ages 16 and older have been fully vaccinated as of May 5. And with vaccine skepticism rippling across the country, it’s unclear when or if the U.S. will reach herd immunity.

There are currently no vaccines approved for use in children, and teens ages 12 to 15 have yet to receive vaccines after the Pfizer shot was approved last month for this age range. Duchin said considering 20% of the population is children, it’s unlikely herd immunity could be reached just from that barrier alone.

Despite this, Duchin said King County could reach community immunity if at least 70% of people receive vaccines or have already been infected, allowing their bodies to produce antibodies.

“If we get to 70%, we have 70% coverage,” Duchin said during the press conference. “We have 70% community immunity. That’s a substantial level of protection. The higher level of protection we have, the less disease we will have, and the more likely it is we’ll be able to re-engage in our pre-COVID lifestyles.”

There’s also the problem of new variants emerging that could be more infectious. Already, there are several variants circulating worldwide and in Washington state that are transmitted more easily. These include variants that initially emerged in the U.K., South Africa, Brazil and California.

Even with these concerns, Duchin said the county doesn’t have to reach herd immunity to resume life in a way similar to before COVID-19. Undertaking measures like improving ventilation in buildings, being cautious during face to face interactions and wearing masks in high-risk situations could be ways to help ease back into normal life while staying safe.

Duchin made it clear he can’t predict what the future holds, or how the virus and countermeasures will evolve over the course of years. The situation globally is also of concern because the virus can easily travel from country to country. If the virus is uncontrolled anywhere, it can allow new variants to emerge that can threaten people locally. Because of this, Duchin said the U.S. has a strong interest in making sure there’s a robust vaccine supply everywhere in the world.

In King County, a fourth wave of the pandemic has been ongoing since early March as cases increased. Gov. Jay Inslee on May 4 announced that no counties would be moving phases for two weeks under the Roadmap to Recovery plan. The two-week pause will allow public health officials time to see whether cases have hit a plateau, or if they will continue to rise.

“We are at the intersection of progress and failure, and we cannot veer from the path of progress,” Inslee said in a press release on May 4. “Our economy is beginning to show early signs of growth thanks to some of our great legislative victories and we know vaccines are the ticket to further reopening — if we adhere to public health until enough people are vaccinated.”

Vaccines are available to all Washingtonians ages 16 and up. Appointments can be found at VaccineLocator.doh.wa.gov.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

City of Kent Corrections Facility, 1230 Central Ave. S. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent Police
Kent Police investigating city jail inmate death at local hospital

Medics transported Kent man, 36, to hospital after medical emergency in jail

t
Kent School District superintendent fined for election violations

State Public Disclosure Commission determines election law rules broken by Israel Vela, district staff

Kent Reporter Photo
Kent Police arrest husband for attacking his wife

Reportedly pointed a gun at her; assaulted family member who came to help

t
Kent Police overtime costs jump to $4.1 million in 2024

A 58% increase from 2021; two officers made more than $100,000 each in OT

Kentwood High School, in Covington. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent School District
Ex-Kentwood High teacher pleads guilty to sex charge with student

Steve Bilvais, 56, to be sentenced June 27 for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes

Courtesy Graphic
Renton, Bellevue among cities of possible measles exposure

For those possibly exposed to measles between April 30 and May 3, the most likely time to become sick would be between May 7 and 24.

A speed limiter device, like this one, will be required for repeat speeding offenders under a Washington law signed on May 12, 2025. The law doesn’t take effect until 2029. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
WA to rein in fast drivers with speed limiters

The new law is named after four people killed in a crash last year near Renton: Boyd Buster Brown, Eloise Wilcoxson, Andrea Smith Hudson and Matilda Wilcoxson.

Valley Medical Center in Renton. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Loss of fundings leads to Valley Medical clinic closures

Renton Landing Urgent Care is already closed but clinics and inpatient hospital units in Renton, Kent and Covington will shutter by end of June.

Courtesy Photo, King County Elections
7 candidates running for Kent City Council to replace Fincher

List of candidates for Kent-area races on city council, school board, King County Council, Legislature

Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. FILE PHOTO, Kent Reporter
Man, 27, pleads guilty to fatal shooting at Kent apartments

Ongoing feud between two men ended with 2023 killing at Dockside Apartments parking lot

t
Kent city corrections officer on leave for alleged misconduct

Investigation started Feb. 28 against Sgt. Travis Reed and is ongoing

Courtesy Photo, Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care
Valley Cities to host community chat in Kent about fentanyl

Learn more about the fentanyl crisis affecting King County communities and Valley Cities response