Marin is aiming to be one of the only communities in the United States to reach herd immunity after the Pfizer vaccine passed regulatory approval for youth ages 12 to 15 this week. The county aims to give half of the roughly 4,000 adolescents in this group their first dose by next Friday. Nationally, vaccination rates have leveled off at 60 percent and public health officials are pulling back on the idea that herd immunity will ever be attained. But in Marin, 87 percent of the eligible population has received a first dose, the most in any California county. “If we’re able to be successful in vaccinating our 12- to 15-year-olds at the same rate that we’ve vaccinated others, we’re on track to achieve community immunity—in maybe one of the only communities in the United States that would be able to achieve that,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin’s public health officer. The benefits of a high vaccination rate are apparent: Marin has just two Covid-19 patients in the hospital and reported no deaths for the last three weeks, reflecting a 97 percent vaccination rate among residents over age 65, by far the most vulnerable group. Infectious disease specialists held a town hall on Tuesday to explain how the vaccine works and make a push for inoculation. The vaccine is not required for students at this time, and parents must provide informed consent. Hesitant people should have a one-on-one conversation with their physician, said Dr. Shilpa Marwaha, an infectious diseases specialist with Kaiser Permanente. She explained the trial results: 2,260 adolescents were spilt into two groups and given either a placebo or the vaccine. Eighteen cases of Covid-19 were observed in the placebo group versus none in the vaccinated group. Protecting entire middle and high schools would be a game-changer in giving young people freedom and normalcy, Dr. Willis said. With less worry about spreading the virus, they can begin to heal after more than a year of isolation. “This has been a year of loss. This has been a year of deprivation,” he said. “More and more we’re seeing that after this pandemic is behind us, there’s going to be another year or two years or more to catch up with all of the other harms.” Mass vaccination sites will be held over the hill and smaller clinics will be held in Point Reyes Station and Tomales. To book an appointment, visit getvaccinatedmarin.org.