
America Is Starting to See What COVID Immunity Really Looks Like
With time and effort, we can build enough protection to blunt surges—but herd immunity remains out of reach.


With time and effort, we can build enough protection to blunt surges—but herd immunity remains out of reach.

A lot has changed since last year’s pre-Delta lull, but America can still reclaim some coronavirus-free chill—if it decides to commit.

Whatever happened to the simpler Greek-letter naming system?

Millions of people are still mourning loved ones lost to COVID, their grief intensified, prolonged, and even denied by the politics of the pandemic.

Months of confusing messaging, piled onto existing inequities, kneecapped America’s booster campaign before it had really started.

Well, that depends.

The United States could be in for a double whammy: a surge it cares to neither measure nor respond to.

The risks from over-boosting are very small.

After a stellar run in adult and teen trials, the vaccines are now trying to contend with Omicron, and the numbers show it.

Whenever it arrives, the next surge could put the country’s tolerance for disease and death in full relief.