Opinion: How we get to herd immunity

When losing soldiers flee a battlefield -- or people migrate in search of a better life -- they are voting with their feet. "Foot voting" lets people control their own destiny, law professor Ilya Somin argues.

In America today, people are also voting with their arms, rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against Covid-19 -- and the impact will likely be momentous.
Nearly 70% of Americans are "arm voting" -- they either expect to be vaccinated or already have been, according to Pew Research's polling. By contrast, in November, voter turnout soared -- but still only about 62% of voting-age people cast ballots in the Biden-Trump contest. More than 114 million Americans have gotten at least one dose of a vaccine.
By getting a vaccination, Americans are voting for science and a return to normal life. They're participating in a huge public health effort, taking into their bloodstream vaccines that were developed and proven to be safe years faster than most. Still, the nation's ability to fully recover from Covid-19 may depend on how many of the hesitant 30% will step up.