Young adults are now steering the course of this pandemic as the biggest spreaders of coronavirus.
But many say they don’t plan to get vaccinated – which has bigger consequences than they might think.
“We really need to get people 20 to 49 years old vaccinated because they are the ones driving the pandemic right now,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean at Emory University School of Medicine.
Yet about 36% of young adults under age 35 say they don’t plan on getting a Covid-19 vaccine, according to an April poll by Quinnipiac University.
That’s a major problem because:
– Even if life is already starting to look more normal, the US will never reach herd immunity if young adults don’t step it up. Health experts say we need at least 70% to 85% of the US population immunized to reach herd immunity and get this pandemic under control.
– More young people are suffering from “long Covid.” Even healthy athletes have succumbed to long-term brain fog, chest pains and shortness of breath.
– By not getting vaccinated, young adults could make vaccines less effective for their friends, family and everyone else. (More on that later.)
Here are the top 10 reasons why young, healthy adults need to get vaccinated as soon as possible:
‘Covid-19 doesn’t have to kill you to wreck your life’
“Even for young people who consider their risk of seve