The FDA has authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech Coronavirus vaccine. ABC News. The vaccine will be able to be used on an emergency basis. In the first 24 hours 2.9 million doses will be delivered to 636 sites across the country. Most the doses are earmarked for healthcare workers and people that live in nursing homes and long term care facilities. A second group of 2.9 million doses will be shipped out soon as well with 500,000 doses being held in reserve. The vaccine may begin to be administered soon, possibly within 24 hours
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
My Comment:
Very good news With the vaccine on the way we might finally see an end to this stupid pandemic. It's going to be awhile before we see any difference but it will be a start. And the most vulnerable people, the only people dying from this virus in large numbers, will be protected from the virus.
This is a massive accomplishment and one that the US government, the medical companies and President Donald Trump deserve a lot of credit for getting this done. Getting a vaccine done in less then a year was something that wasn't thought possible before the Coronavirus pandemic but it's now clear that it is possible.
And I also have to point out the logistics of this. These vaccines are now traveling across the country to be given to thousands of people. Millions of doses were bought and paid for even before the trials were complete so they could be sent out right away. I think it's very possible that we could have people taking the vaccine as soon as tomorrow. Keep in mind that the Pfizer vaccine requires extremely low temperatures to be stored and transported so that has also complicated things. It's amazing that they are going to pull this off.
I know there have been some reports of side effects from the UK. These have been mostly mild with a few more severe cases. From what I understand the side effects are similar to the ones that the regular flu shot has, but are more common. I don't think that would stop me from taking the vaccine but some people are afraid of it. Plus, people might not want to get the 2nd required dose after they get side effects from the first one.
Another problem is that the medical industry has pissed away a lot of the public's trust and good will. The way they have responded to the pandemic has not been good, vaccine development not withstanding. Not only did they downplay the virus in the beginning, they flip flopped on masks and, most damning, supported lockdowns at the same time they encouraged rioting and violence during the George Floyd disaster this summer. Is it any wonder why some people are afraid to take the vaccine?
Keep in mind that there will be a delay in getting the vaccine to everyone. I agree that the people in nursing homes and long term care should get the vaccine first. They are by far at the most risk of death and they deserve to be protected. And the health care workers will get the vaccine as well, largely for practical reasons. They get exposed to the virus at higher rates and if they get infected they could pass it on to their patients.
It will be some time before things get back to normal. What is going to be the big question is if all the stupid rules and regulations start to fade away after the vaccine. It's very clear that in many cases the Democrats (and even some Republicans) are getting off on the power the pandemic has given them. They might be reluctant to give that power up...
But this does mean that things will have to start to get back to some semblance of normalcy soon. If these governors don't let up even after a vaccine is released they are going to face resistance, perhaps even insurrection. People are at the end of their ropes and when this pandemic finally ends I am expecting a huge party.
No comments:
Post a Comment