Christine Nero Coughlin, JD, Wake Forest University and Mark A. Rothstein, JD, University of Louisville School of Medicine & Hastings Center Fellow, had the following essay recently published by the Hastings Center.

“The United States is in a life-and-death race to get as many “shots in the arms” of people as possible before further viral mutations enable the SARS-CoV-2 virus “to escape” the protection conferred by the current vaccines. Although herd immunity against Covid-19 was previously estimated at 70% to 85%, experts now believe that the heightened transmissibility of new variants is likely to increase the necessary percentage for population immunity. Because at least 15% of the population is opposed to receiving any Covid-19 vaccine, there is little margin for error in getting all willing (and possibly willing) vaccine recipients immunized promptly…..” to read the full essay go here: