Thread by @MonicaGandhi9

As @sfchronicle aptly put it, new data-based CDC guidance is psychological shock; will settle; everyone can decide for themselves on masking. In meantime, India still with raging epidemic with 10% 1st dose vax rate; really shows us how mitigation strategies are tools vax solution

And when country opens up without vaccine, and is as crowded as India, and had a likely more transmissible variant, the epidemiology without the protection of vaccines is devastating

And the tragedy cannot be overstated (as Americans debate whether they trust each other on masks or whether they think the vaccine is as effective as study after study says) in a place without vaccine. Vaccine is solution; masks,distancing, ventilation are tools until solution

Vaccines bring countries (depending on their level of natural immunity prior) to an inflection point where cases start plummeting even with variants like B117 and B.1.617 being more transmissible.

So what can we do besides oxygen and health care system donations? Vaccines. Vaccines are solution, we have means to get them to South Asia and other parts of world without them by temporarily waiving patents on vaccines as this can happen to any country without vaccines

And donation besides waiving (temporarily) patents which may affect countries in a few months in not as dire straights as South Asia right now. US has surplus doses even accounting for vaccinating US population to move back to normal when people ready.
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