Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What is herd immunity? How could it help end the Covid-19 pandemic? (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Herd immunity is when enough people are immune to a disease that it has a hard time spreading. Everyone is then protected, including people who can’t be vaccinated, such as newborns and people with certain health issues. Experts estimate that 70 to 90 percent of Americans will need to be vaccinated or otherwise immune to Covid-19 for the U.S. to reach herd immunity.
• Why do many health experts say vaccinating young people is important? (Key Details)
Experts say that vaccinating young people is important because kids and teens make up about 22 percent of the U.S. population, so vaccinating them can help the country reach herd immunity. While most of the 3.4 million kids and teens who have tested positive for Covid-19 have had mild symptoms, some have developed severe complications and at least 284 have died. Young people can also spread the virus to others.
• Summarize the section “Hope for the Future.” (Summarizing)
Pharmaceutical companies expect to have results from their vaccine trials of kids ages 12 to 17 by this summer. Vaccines will likely be authorized for children in that age group by the fall. Companies are also testing the vaccines on younger kids, and doctors hope those children may be able to get vaccinated in early 2022.