Douglas Nead expressed concern that he didn’t qualify for the lottery in either Oregon or Washington — as a Washington resident who got his shots in Oregon (“Shut out of the lottery,” Our Readers’ Views, June 12).
I think he already won the biggest lottery, because he got his shot very early in the process and has been protected from COVID-19 for all these months. I know that I was absolutely ecstatic when I was able to get my vaccines early, to be safe, and to lead to a time when we can stop having to maintain severe restrictions in order to protect ourselves and other. The lottery is an attempt by the state to encourage vaccination in reluctant people.
It is important to remember that we don’t actually know what percentage of vaccinations is required to result in the goal of herd immunity. It has been said that we might need 80 percent immunized to accomplish that, but we are betting on 70 percent. As I’ve read, about the only people being hospitalized with COVID-19 now are people who haven’t been immunized. In the Southeastern U.S., the portion of people getting vaccinated is much lower than here in the Northwest.
So, please get your vaccine, be safe, and help protect your neighbors.
