Simplified: More than 41,000 people in the Sioux Falls area have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the city health department. That's about 16 percent, close to 1 in 6 people in the city.
Why it matters:
- Sioux Falls is vaccinating residents at a faster rate than the U.S. as a whole, according to data from the city and national data from NPR.
- The ultimate goal is herd immunity, which won't happen until about 75 percent of people or more have gotten vaccinated, per Jill Franken, director of public health.
- This all comes as new cases are on the downward trend. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 574 confirmed active COVID-19 cases in the city.
What city leaders are watching
- State health officials have warned that by March the UK variant of the coronavirus will likely be the dominant virus.
- Franken said the vaccine protects against that new variant, but it's unclear if natural immunity from having the virus will have the same effect. She recommends keeping mitigation measures in place until more people are vaccinated.
- A community education campaign is expected to launch in March to address common questions about the vaccine.
Have questions about the vaccine?
There are lots of resources for you here. You can also find city-specific resources here.
