The 65% - 70% number was a guess based on the understanding of the virus at the time. Since then, more has been more learned about the virus and the virus has changed making the original guess moot.

According to information I can find, about 62% of those in the US have taken the vaccine. There have been something like 54M cases or about 16% of the population. Even if you simply added 62%+16%=78% the number is not "well over %70." But you can't simply add that way - many of the 16% are part of the 62% that are vaccinated, some number of the 16% had mild cases and did not acquire immunity, some number of the 16% were false-positives, and some number of the 16% died from their infection.

The 70% guess was probably low at the start and the virus has now changed to where the number needed is much higher. We are probably close to only 70% today which means we aren't close to where we need to be. With the anti-vaxers or vaccine-hesitant or those who choose to be misinformed, there is a long way to go.

No, the virus changed. Different mutations need different solutions.

Anyone who is not contraindicated to be vaccinated needs their head examined if they don't get the shots. Just my opinion, of course.

Never heard that word before. Another new word I have learned.
Would go well in a crossword puzzle.
At first I thought you had misspelled contradicted!

It sure would be nice to know what is really going on since the start of this man made virus. So many opinions.

""To die — to sleep. To sleep — perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub!""

On the Origins of COVID-19: Report Provides Evidence that Lab Leak Theory Unlikely
| University of Utah Health

Probably an accident of nature and not a man made virus.

Here's what's really going on:

The virus exists. It really did kill hundreds of thousands of people world-wide. It made millions of people worldwide very sick. It infected tens of millions of people worldwide, which made it easy for it to spread and make all those people sick and/or dead.

Then

Vaccines came out, which can help reduce the spread, reduce infection, reduce sickness in those who get it anyway, and reduce the chance of death from the virus.

BUT

A whole lot of people refused to get vaccinated.

SO

Some people were vaccinated, which caused the virus to try the next person down the line. Eventually the virus was able to mutate, because the more people UNvaccinated, the less likely the virus is to simply go away by itself. And so - it mutated.

THEN

People still refused to vaccinate, even with the Delta mutation that was spreading even worse. So the virus doubled down and mutated again.

NOW

The virus is mutated such that it isn't quite the same as the one the vaccines were invented to combat - however - the vaccines are absolutely reducing the number of deaths from covid in people who are vaccinated. It's also evident that of the people who need hospitalization OR who have died from COVID, most of them are unvaccinated.

IN ADDITION:

Masks reduce the risk of infection, and reduce the risk of spread. Even the normal surgical masks. None of them -prevent- infection. But they do reduce the risk.

That is what's really going on.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Totally agree. Unfortunately, even if we had 100% vaccination and mask wearing in the USA, there are many third world countries that can’t afford vaccines, or use substandard vaccines from Russia and/or China, and have extremely low vaccination rates. The virus will continue to mutate there and wind up here. I’m not arguing against taking every available precaution, just pointing out that it’s a global pandemic and won’t be controlled long term with only local actions. Very frustrating.

TRUE and very well stated