Public Health Ontario (PHO) recently announced that the province needs at least 90% of its total population vaccinated against COVID-19 to reach herd immunity.
PHO experts also stressed that it would be very beneficial for the province to achieve herd immunity, particularly combating the virus’s much more contagious Delta strain.
According to the evidence presented by PHO, reaching herd immunity will require all eligible Ontario residents over the age of 12 to get two jabs of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Moreover, the experts emphasized that the provincial government should set up measures as early as now regarding the vaccination of individuals 11 and under to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible.
While Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, said that a 75% immunization rate would already elevate the province from Step 3 restrictions, PHO warns that this is only feasible for the Alpha variant, which is not as transmissible as its Delta counterpart.
PHO urges Ontarians to closely follow health protocols, such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and washing hands frequently. It is also crucial not to expose people with weakened immune systems like the elderly and young kids to potentially infected individuals.
