About 1 in 3 Riverside County residents have 1 vaccine dose; officials aim for herd immunity by mid-June

Workers sit in the observation area after receiving a one shot dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic geared toward agriculture workers organized by TODEC on April 05, 2021 in Riverside, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Apr 15, 2021 / 01:32 PM PDT

Updated: Apr 15, 2021 / 01:32 PM PDT

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Riverside County could reach herd immunity against COVID-19 before June 15, the date California is aiming to fully reopen its economy, public health officials said.

“We do believe we have the capacity and the vaccine supply to be able to do that,” Public Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung said at a Board of Supervisors meeting this week.

Herd immunity occurs when enough of a population is immune to an infectious disease that it is unable to spread readily. That provides an indirect form of protection to those who can’t be vaccinated. It’s usually achieved through vaccination but also can occur through natural infection.

Reaching that critical juncture in Riverside County will likely occur by administering as many vaccines as possible over the next eight to 10 weeks, Leung said.

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