“Herd Immunity By August,” Russian Deputy PM Golikova Predicts

After months of a ‘dark COVID’ winter in Russia, a top official projects herd immunity could be achieved by the end of summer. 

Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told TASS News Tuesday that government numbers forecast 60% herd immunity by August. She said achieving such a level would be a prerequisite for “fully lifting restrictions.” 

Golikova said to reach such a level would depend on the rate of vaccinations: 

“If vaccination remains at the same pace as now, if the number of vaccination points is the same as now, then we, as a country, will achieve herd immunity by August 2021. This date could change and could be advanced and, most likely, it will be so. It depends solely on the vaccination pace,” she said.

She noted daily reported COVID-19 cases have significantly decreased from nearly 30,000 per day in late 2020 to around 10,000 in March.

“The numbers of new cases of coronavirus infection are still quite serious, although reassuringly decreasing,” she said. “You will remember that we decided to ease measures last May, when we were at just around this point in terms of the number of new cases.”

Golikova said the situation is improving as vaccine rollouts are helping. Also, colder weather accelerates the spread of the virus, but with much of winter have already peaking and spring ahead – the decline in cases could continue. 

“The situation is better now, but the virus is still not going anywhere. You need to take care of yourself and your loved ones,” she said.

Chief epidemiologist Nikolay Briko recently revealed that four million Russians had been vaccinated with either Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona. There are plans to increase the vaccination rate in the coming months.

Projections for herd immunity this year are also being made public in the US. Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Marty Makary, who penned an op-ed in the WSJ weeks ago, said the US could experience herd immunity by April. 

Nothing is scarier for the politicians, unelected leaders, or non-governmental organizations to return to ‘normal’. And by ‘normal’, we mean a return to an environment outside of the authoritarian control of career politicians and bureaucrats who have got a taste of what it’s like to be ‘king’ by imposing strict measures on society. 

Will the US and Russia achieve herd immunity this year? Will other countries follow? Or will variants of the virus and fearmongering by corporate media lead to lockdown extensions?