How Quickly We Need To Ramp Up Vaccinations To Get To Herd Immunity
Debate about how many vaccinations are needed by when has been in the news. Drew Altman lays it out in his latest column.
The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
Debate about how many vaccinations are needed by when has been in the news. Drew Altman lays it out in his latest column.
Additional Data Available Through Online Vaccine Monitor Dashboard As vaccination efforts ramp up across the country, the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor examines where the public is getting its relevant information. Large shares of the public report that they are getting at least a fair amount of vaccine information from television news, including cable (43%), network (41%) and local (40%) television, and from friends and family (40%). Somewhat fewer get at least a fair amount of…
Updated analysis of state-reported data as of February 1, 2021 on COVID-19 vaccinations, cases, and deaths by race/ethnicity is now available. Based on nearly half of states reporting vaccination data by race/ethnicity, Black and Hispanic people continue to receive smaller shares of vaccinations compared to their shares of cases and deaths and compared to their proportions of the total population. In all 23 states reporting data, Black people account for a smaller share of vaccinations compared…
This analysis looks at vaccination rates among older adults at the state level, and the share of all vaccines administered that have been given to older adults, among states reporting vaccination data by age.
We examine the Biden administration’s proposal to partner with community health centers to speed up vaccinations, especially in hard-to-reach populations.
In his latest Axios column, Drew Altman shows why vaccine hesitancy will naturally decrease as more and more people see their family members and friends vaccinated without adverse consequences. It’s a hopeful sign about vaccine hesitancy, and should help free up resources to focus on the remaining vaccine hesitant.
As the country broadens COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts, the latest research from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that side effects, including allergic reactions and long-term consequences, are the public’s top concern about getting vaccinated when asked to describe what worries them in their own words. The latest report from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor summarizes the public’s response to a series of open-ended questions aimed at better understanding people’s concerns around receiving a COVID-19…
With hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccines will be proven safe and effective soon, state and local public health authorities will play a critical role in ensuring the efficient distribution and administration of the vaccine. To assess the readiness of these local governments to take on these responsibilities, KFF reviewed the preliminary vaccine distribution plans submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month by the states and the District of…
In this Foreign Affairs article, Josh Michaud and Jen Kates lay out the challenges in vaccinating people in low-income countries around the world and review early plans to ensure safe and effective vaccines are made available and delivered to people across the globe.
This brief provides an overview of barriers to vaccination that disproportionately affect people of color and discusses how current national recommendations and state vaccine allocation plans address racial equity.
© 2026 KFF