New York Times wrote:...there is widespread consensus among scientists and public health experts that the herd immunity threshold is not attainable — at least not in the foreseeable future, and perhaps not ever.
Instead, they are coming to the conclusion that rather than making a long-promised exit, the virus will most likely become a manageable threat that will continue to circulate in the United States for years to come, still causing hospitalizations and deaths but in much smaller numbers.
Reaching 'Herd Immunity' is Unlikely in the U.S., Experts Now Believe
An acquaintance of my folks, an ornery man in his early 70s, refused to get a vaccine. He had all sorts of reasons: COVID was like a bad cold, the numbers were highly exaggerated, the vaccine wasn't tested properly, etc. He ended up in the ICU of the regional hospital on a ventilator. Despite that and the fact that he was a heavy smoker for decades, he survived. And guess what? He's as insufferable as ever.
Whelp, here's to many, many years of COVID booster shots.