When will the pandemic end? It’s the question hanging over just about everything since COVID-19 took over the world last year. Experts say the answer will be measured in vaccinations.
Bloomberg has built the biggest database of COVID-19 shots given around the world, with more than 119 million doses administered worldwide. U.S. science officials such as Anthony Fauci have suggested it will take 70% to 85% coverage of the population for things to return to normal. Bloomberg’s Vaccine Tracker shows that some countries are making far more rapid progress than others, using 75%coverage with a two-dose vaccine as a target.
New York’s target date was briefly pushed out to 17 months this week after a winter blizzard prevented some from getting vaccinated (it’s now back down to 13 months). Likewise, Canada’s vaccination rate dropped by half in recent weeks following reports of delayed vaccine shipments. Based on Canada’s latest rate of inoculations it would take more than 10 years to reach 75% coverage. That might serve as a wake-up call to Canadian politicians and health officials, but it doesn’t mean the country is doomed to a decade of social distancing. Canada has contracts to buy more vaccine doses per person than any other country, and its vaccination rates are expected to climb.
