Here's early data suggesting the B.1.351 variant is a vaccine escape mutant.
To prevent more strains that the vaccines don't protect from, we need a paid shutdown now. #PaidShutdownNow
statnews.com/2021/02/07/sou…
To prevent more strains that the vaccines don't protect from, we need a paid shutdown now. #PaidShutdownNow
statnews.com/2021/02/07/sou…
There are high levels of uncontrolled transmission in the US, UK, EU, Brazil, and elsewhere that are increasingly exposed to people who are vaccinated.
If we vaccinated 5 billion or so people instantly, like flicking a switch, the pandemic would likely end in a flash.
But if we vaccinate slow, as we are, over months and years, then any place where there are sizable portions of the population that are vaccinates AND high rates of transmission is a major set up for mutant strains that vaccines will not protect for.
Most nations failed at basic behavioral public health approaches for the past year in hopes of vaccinating our way out of the pandemic.
Over 2 million people have died with that approach.
And now those same places are head in the sand about novel strains.
Over 2 million people have died with that approach.
And now those same places are head in the sand about novel strains.
Imagine 6 months from now that being vaccinated doesn't mean "you're safe." That we have no idea what it means because there's increasingly prevalent strains that the vaccines don't protect against.
It could feels very similar to where we're at now. Stuck in deadly limbo because of an unwillingness to take urgently needed action.
We need a phrase for this scenario better than:
"ineffective vaccines because of vaccine escape mutants because we let there be uncontrolled transmission and vaccination that was too slow"
"ineffective vaccines because of vaccine escape mutants because we let there be uncontrolled transmission and vaccination that was too slow"
Some say "we'll give boosters and develop new vaccines tailored to new strains."
That approach is chasing the puck. That approach is giving up on the current moment and best possible scenario. That approach sets us up to play whac-a-mole.
It is risky, prolonged, and deadly.
That approach is chasing the puck. That approach is giving up on the current moment and best possible scenario. That approach sets us up to play whac-a-mole.
It is risky, prolonged, and deadly.
Even if vaccine escape mutants are only a mild feature and not a disaster scenario, we still need a paid shutdown right now because it saves the most lives and because it provide the economic support which is so urgently needed. thenation.com/article/politi…
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