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Experts estimate that close to 90% of the U.S. population must be vaccinated to reach herd immunity for COVID-19. David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

What is herd immunity? A public health expert and a medical laboratory scientist explain

Vaccination campaigns like the ones that eventually eliminated polio and measles in the United States required decades of education and awareness in order to achieve herd immunity in the U.S. population.
Many U.S. states follow some form of “mature minor doctrine” allowing teens to make medical decisions without parental consent, including COVID-19 vaccination. Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group/Daily Times via Getty Images

Do US teens have the right to be vaccinated against their parents’ will? It depends on where they live

Some states have a legal framework allowing “mature minors” to make their own health care decisions – but they apply it in different ways, and some don’t have it at all.

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