This is a no-brainer. Currently, according to the CDC data tracker, 58% of the US population is fully vaccinated with 63% having received at least the first shot. The target to achieve herd immunity is 70% immunity. Immunity doesn't just come by vaccination, it also can be achieved naturally by infection. So, it is with little doubt that between vaccinations and natural immunity we are well over 70% immunity in this country right now and yet, the case counts continue to climb. Why is that?
If having been infected or vaccinated provided immunity and protected one from becoming infected, herd immunity would now be a fact and the virus would be having an almost impossible time finding suitable hosts to infect and grow and so it would die off. This has not happened so it is obvious that vaccinations and even natural immunity does not necessarily prevent one from being infected and becoming contagious.
Case in point. I was tested positive a week ago this past Thursday. Putting 2 and 2 together I am about 90% positive that I transmitted the virus to my wife, my neighbor, my neighbor's wife and son, one other neighbor, and my brother-in-law. All except my brother-in-law and myself were fully vaccinated and yet they all got it.
The silver lining right now is that evidence points to being vaccinated provides protection against serious illness from the virus.
Of the two of us that were not vaccinated, my brother-in-law is hospitalized with pneumonia and on oxygen. He's not on a ventilator at this time but if he tries to get up out of bed, his blood oxygen levels plummet rapidly. Those five that were fully vaccinated are all recovering having experienced minor symptoms only. I was fortunate to only experience minor symptoms as well.
