Great question from @CarolineYLChen -- if herd immunity means getting 70-80% of the population, how quick do we need to get to children? (I.e., as long as we're not vaccinating children, the percentage of adults to reach is quite high.)
Fauci: Trials over the next few months, on gradually younger ages, so that "hopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated."
Important add from @CDCDirector -- herd immunity figures are based on transmission among adults.
If it's lower among children, as it appears to be, that helps. (That last sentence is me. I *think* I'm right, but will watch twitter to see if I'm wrong.)
Question from @Yamiche -- what *should* daily average be?
@ASlavitt says they see current rate, a little over 1M/day, as a floor. Says working on increasing, but not putting out a new target. (Not clear if we'll get one down the road.)
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This exchange in particular deserves emphasis -- i.e., how the difficulty isn't any one thing.
So it's not supply or distribution. It's supply *and* distribution. With a different situation in every community. And conditions that will change with time.
Biden's strategy reflects this. It's got many small parts, no single one of which is a game-changer. But together they add up.
Or, at least, we hope they add up. The test will be execution.
One thing to put these ideas on a piece of paper. Another to put them into action.
There's a lot going on this week, I know, but want to draw your attention to a pair of new books that are quite relevant to what's been happening in U.S. politics -- and where we could go in the next few years. (1)
It's a history of the filibuster and how it has contributed to gridlock and widespread disillusionment with politics. (2)
I especially liked the focus on John Calhoun, who promoted the idea of a "minority veto" to protect Southern slave states.
I'm a bit of a Calhoun obsessive and -- like @jbouie -- think it's a straight line from his arguments to the dynamics of today. (3) nytimes.com/interactive/20…
Few quick thoughts on the Biden rescue plan and vaccines.
The basic approach tracks with what experts have been outlining -- more money and support for states, training new workers, etc. (1) huffpost.com/entry/biden-ec…
The campaign has promised more details, to go with another speech, on Friday. Hoping for more details then.
There's a call for mass clinics, for example, and that's great. Does that mean backstopping states? Running them directly? If so, how? (2) huffpost.com/entry/biden-ec…
Likewise, the campaign goal of 100 million doses over 100 days would represent an improvement over the current pace. But it doesn't appear to be nearly enough to get to herd immunity by summer.