Bloomberg’s calculator does not take natural immunity into account, the immunity that former COVID-19 patients might have after recovering from the illness. This means that the world might be able to end the pandemic sooner than five years.
Researchers discovered that immunity after COVID might last between 6 and 9 months, which means places with a lot of infection cases might not need so many vaccines to stop widespread transmission since people are already immune to the virus. Nevertheless, doctors still recommend people who have recovered from illness get vaccinated as their natural defense to the virus is not unlimited. You’ll find more details in our post: If I’ve Already Had COVID-19, Do I Still Need the Vaccine?
