How does Los Angeles compare to the rest of the country vaccination-wise?
Photo by Daniel Schludi on Unsplash  Covid in Los Angeles has been getting better for a while now. The rest of America seems to be catching up finally. Our biggest weapon against covid is vaccination. Vaccination rates have been rising. New CDC data indicates that 25 states have now vaccinated at least 50% of their adult population. Highest and Lowest  Maine has the highest vaccination rate in the country. 62% of their residents 18+ are fully vaccinated. Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana are on the opposite side of the spectrum. They are lagging far behind in vaccinations. 61.2% of American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine. 49.6% are fully vaccinated. Los Angeles County compares favorably to that. As of 5/21/2020:  62.5% of Los Angeles adult residents have received at least one dose. 50.6% are fully vaccinated. Why Vaccination Numbers are Important  Exceeded expectations  The original goal was to develop a safe vaccine that prevented at least half of the vaccinated people from getting symptoms. We blew that goal out of the water. In California and Texas, only 0.05% of fully vaccinated health care workers later tested positive. Getting back to normal  The newest CDC masking guidelines allow vaccinated people to go mask-free in most situations. This is just the latest indication that vaccination is a big step towards getting Los Angeles back to normal. Vaccinated Covid spread  We dont have definitive proof that vaccination stops all spread of Covid. But, it certainly looks like it lessens the risk significantly. We do know for certain that breakthrough infections lead to generally milder symptoms. Researchers believe that the milder symptoms are due to a lower viral load. They also think that a lower viral load makes a person less likely to spread it to others. My Thoughts  There were definitely times where I have been frustrated by L.A.s response to covid. California had more cases of Covid than any other state. Los Angeles had more cases of Covid than any other county in California. But, thankfully, we are past that now. Vaccinated or not, Los Angeles is coming back soon. Most people who want a vaccine have already gotten it. Anyone who hasnt can get one soon. There are plenty available.