How to get Latinos to trust the covid-19 vaccine?
26:59
(CNN) -
Other U.S. states announced on Thursday that COVID-19 vaccines would be available to more people, news that comes as the country's leading infectious disease expert said it may be necessary to vaccinate minors. to achieve herd immunity.
Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated that people are too focused on the idea of herd immunity - the point where enough people are protected against the virus to suppress the spread - for this new coronavirus.
"I think we should be careful marrying this concept of herd immunity because we really don't know precisely, for this particular virus, what it is," Fauci said at a hearing in the US Senate.
LEE: Leaders and companies in the US defend the use of masks while Texas and Mississippi relax restrictions due to covid-19
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, explained that he has been estimating that between 70% and 85% of the population would need to be vaccinated or immune to the virus to reach the point of herd immunity.
“We don't really know what that magic point of herd immunity is, but we do know that if we vaccinate the overwhelming majority of the population, we will be in good shape.
Ultimately, we would like and we have to include minors in that mix, "Fauci added during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
He said that when high school students are vaccinated, the United States could achieve so-called herd immunity.
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More states expand vaccination rules
More states are expanding the number of people eligible to get vaccinated.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu reported that residents age 50 and older will be eligible starting Monday and that the state plans to expand access to vaccines to all citizens age 16 and older "in just a few weeks." .
LEE: The US could be on the cusp of an increase in covid-19 infections, but vaccination will limit the damage
Missouri Governor Mike Parson said that starting March 29, vaccination will be available to adults in essential sectors for economic recovery and that starting April 9, all adults can receive a vaccine.
In Illinois, it will be extended to all residents 16 and older on April 12, Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said providers should include people 50 and older starting Monday.
Experts worry about where the case numbers are headed
But even as vaccination increases, the United States may be on the cusp of another surge in COVID-19 cases, says one expert.
"I think we will see an increase in the number of infections," emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN Wednesday night.
“I think what helps this time is that the most vulnerable, particularly residents of nursing homes, the elderly, are now vaccinated.
Therefore, we can prevent an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.
Health officials have repeatedly warned of a possible fourth wave as state leaders relaxed restrictions and several lifted the mandates on the use of masks.
The first warning sign came when the number of cases, after weeks of sharp declines, seemed to stabilize, and the country still averages tens of thousands of new cases a day.
That kind of plateau previously predicted surges, some experts have said.
A person holds up a sign stating that a mask is required to be worn during the Big Ten men's college basketball tournament on March 11 in Indianapolis.
Cases of the variants of concern, particularly the highly contagious variant B.1.1.7, have also increased and it is expected to become the dominant strain in late March or early April.
Several states relax restrictions due to covid-19
Meanwhile, local governors and leaders have eased restrictions on indoor gatherings, citing fewer COVID-19 cases and more vaccinations.
And the crowds for spring break are gathering in Florida and other Gulf Coast states.
Additionally, the number of air travel across the country is reaching peak levels in the era of the pandemic.
Now, as the country approaches 30 million reported infections, average daily case counts are more than 10% higher in 17 states this week compared to last week, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. .
And nine of those states saw an increase of more than 20%.
If COVID-19 cases continue to rise in many states, mass vaccination of our most vulnerable people is likely to limit increases in hospitalizations and deaths.
People 65 and older account for more than 80% of all COVID-19 deaths, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, 66% of people 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
And about 39% are fully vaccinated, dramatically reducing the risk of hospitalization and death.
Even so, Wen still has his concerns.
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And lowering restrictions doesn't help
"I think we will see an increase in the number of infections, but not necessarily an increase in hospitalizations and deaths, which again is a very good thing," he told CNN on Thursday.
"But we also notice that many governors are not going to re-impose restrictions unless we see our hospitals overwhelm."
“So we could see a situation where many more infections are outgrowing our vaccines and people let their guard down but don't have the restrictions to stop it.
And I'm afraid we may lose this variant versus vaccine race as a result. '
In schools, 90 centimeters is the new 1.8 meters
The CDC updated its physical distancing guidelines for schools from almost six feet to three feet on Friday, an administration official confirmed to CNN.
US health officials pointed to a study, published last week, that showed Massachusetts schools that require 90 centimeters of distance between people have no difference in covid-19 rates compared to those that maintain to students 1.8 meters away.
All staff and students after second grade were still required to wear masks.
The change to 90 centimeters is key to reopening schools safely, because most do not have space for 1.8 meters of distance with all the students present.
An analysis of reopening studies published last week found that school districts in Indiana, Virginia and Massachusetts have adopted a standard of three feet instead of six feet.
Those states "have not seen the increase in cases that would be expected if that protection were somehow less adequate," wrote Education and Policy expert John Bailey.
READ: CDC should encourage better ventilation to stop the spread of coronavirus in schools, experts say
At the Senate hearing Thursday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky indicated that the science on this topic had evolved over time.
"In fact, because 6 feet has been a huge challenge there, the science has tilted and now there are emerging studies on the question between 3 feet and 6 feet," Republican Susan Collins told Sen. from Maine.
"This is an urgent matter."
The World Health Organization has recommended physical distancing in schools of at least one meter.
Nearly 1 in 8 Americans is fully vaccinated
Meanwhile, vaccinations have accelerated as officials rush to get as many vaccines as possible, as quickly as possible.
About 75 million Americans received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data.
And about 41 million people are fully vaccinated, or about 12% of the US population.
But challenges remain, including vacillation, misinformation and inequalities around vaccines.
The United States should soon have plenty of vaccines on hand and should start persuading reluctant people to inoculate, a senior official with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Thursday.
"Within 90 days, in essence, we will have quadrupled our vaccine supply," Dr. David Kessler, Scientific Director of Covid Response at HHS, told the Senate hearing.
"I think we will soon move from a supply problem to a demand problem."
Additionally, the CDC will soon release more guidance on what people can safely do once they are fully vaccinated, Walensky said.
“We are reviewing what we should do regarding travel for those who are vaccinated and that should be anticipated soon.
That will probably be the next step in this regard, "said Walensky.
The problem is not what is safe for those who are vaccinated, but what is safe for their contacts, he added.
"We are still looking for data on whether people who are vaccinated can be asymptomatically infected and potentially transmit to other people," added Walensky.
Doctors note that people who are vaccinated can still potentially breathe in the virus and have it living in their nose and throat, and could breathe out, cough, or sneeze the infectious virus into other people.
CNN's Steve Almasy, Melissa Alonso, Adrienne Broaddus, Chris Boyette, Elizabeth Cohen, Deidre McPhillips, Brandon Miller, Nick Neville, Rebekah Riess and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.
Covid-19 Vaccines