It has been more than a year since the World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. But while the virus no longer qualifies as a crisis, experts say it will only stay under control if people get vaccinated.
“Population immunity has moved us out of the pandemic,” said Dr. Manisha Patel, chief medical officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “Now the goal is to make sure we keep that immunity up because it does wane. And the way we keep it up is through vaccination. That is the safest way to keep our country healthy.”