Los Angeles County is on course for Covid-19 herd immunity by end of JUNE, health officials say

Los Angeles County could be on track to achieving herd immunity by the end of June, the county’s Public Health Director said on Wednesday.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that, based on numbers from the federal government, L.A. County will reach 80 per cent vaccine coverage among residents over 16 years old in the next 12 weeks.

That would put the county within the overall 70-85 per cent immunity through both vaccinations and infections which Dr Anthony Fauci has said is required for herd immunity.

‘If L.A. County receives 500,000 doses a week, 80 per cent vaccination of 16 and over can happen in just 12 more weeks,’ Ferrer said during a presentation.

In a press release on Wednesday, L.A. County Public Health said that more than 4,000,000 vaccines had been administered in the county, with 1,323,686 people having received their second dose. 

Los Angeles County could be on track to achieving herd immunity by the end of June. The county’s Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said on Wednesday that, based on numbers from the federal government, L.A. County will reach 80 per cent vaccine coverage among residents over 16 years old in the next 12 weeks [File photo]

The county has given 4,434,120 vaccines to its population of about 10million people – more than any other county in California. 

L.A. County has recorded 1.22million cases of coronavirus and 23,143 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began last year. 

Ferrer said that between 30 and 40 per cent of county residents had already been infected with coronavirus, contributing to the county’s overall immunity. 

This week, Fauci referred to a study that suggested 45 per cent of people in Los Angeles have Covid-19 antibodies.

Deadline reports that if the majority of that 45 per cent had not been vaccinated, the number of L.A. residents under 16 with immunity from having been exposed to the virus could be about 10 per cent of the county’s total population.

Ferrer said that 80 per cent of the remaining population over 16 should be vaccinated by late June. 

Deadline estimated that that would cover 64 per cent of all residents, which added to the 10 per cent under 16 makes 74 per cent of the county’s population – within Fauci’s 70-85 per cent guideline for herd immunity.

L.A. County has recorded 1.22million cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began last year

L.A. County has recorded 1.22million cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began last year

At least 23,143 people have died from Covid-19 in L.A. County since the pandemic began last year

At least 23,143 people have died from Covid-19 in L.A. County since the pandemic began last year

Ferrer’s projection is based on the county receiving an average of 576,000 doses each week until the end of June. 

Projections from the federal government indicated that the county would receive 500,000 doses this week and for the following two weeks, and then rising to 600,000 and 700,000.

‘We got the most vaccines this week being administered than we ever have before,’ she said, adding that the county was well set up to vaccinate large numbers of people at all times. 

‘We have capacity here. We’re never going to be a situation here where we get additional doses and we can’t immediately get them in people’s arms,’ she said.

While the county received more doses than ever this week, according to Ferrer, its infrastructure has been adapted to cope with delivering doses at 630,000 appointments a week. 

In a press release on Wednesday, L.A. County Public Health said that more than 4,000,000 vaccines had been administered in the county, with 1,323,686 people having received their second dose. Pictured: A woman received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Los Angeles on March 25 [File photo]

In a press release on Wednesday, L.A. County Public Health said that more than 4,000,000 vaccines had been administered in the county, with 1,323,686 people having received their second dose. Pictured: A woman received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Los Angeles on March 25 [File photo]

Variants of the coronavirus have been detected in L.A. County and it is unclear whether immunity to the original strain will also protect people from these new forms. 

On Wednesday, Ferrer also announced that L.A. County was moving down from the red tier to the orange tier, with some easing of restrictions from Monday.

Under the orange tier there will be more capacity at stores, movie theaters, restaurants and other attractions.

Bars that don’t serve food will also be able to open for outdoor service. 

California has maintained strict lockdown restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.