We don’t talk about it enough but it’s a huge failure that there isn’t more urgency to develop better COVID vaccines.
An Operation Warp Speed for nasal vaccines and more variant proof vaccines would transform our ability to deal with COVID and help us mitigate future pandemics.
The current COVID vaccines have reduced deaths but governments are in denial that there’s still a too many deaths, too many getting Long COVID, & too many locked out of society. Better COVID vaccines (with treatments & other public health layers) would make a huge difference!
With future pandemic threats like bird flu showing alarming signs right now, it’s dangerous that governments are not showing enough urgency to develop new and better vaccine technologies.
Sadly, thanks to capitalism, governments have prematurely declared mission accomplished on COVID.
But the job isn’t done. We need to develop better vaccines to meaningfully address the ongoing harm that COVID is continuing to cause, and to prevent and mitigate future pandemics.
@luckytran
Yesterday, as I drove home from a Covid booster shot, I reflected that, back in the spring of 2020, when I got my first shot, I'd never have predicted I'd still be getting boosters 4 years later.
There is little pressure or expectation from the general public.
Why?
Because the vast majority think "it's over".
Which is wrong for two reasons:
SARS-CoV-2 is still circulating, 1 in 100 prevalence last time I checked (appreciate an update)
1/10 infected will get long covid - which can mean anything from brain damage to immune dysregulation (leading to other infections), blood clots to chronic fatigue, and organ damage eg liver or heart
Would be very surprised if the best minds in the world were not working full tilt on better vaccines. The vaccines we have gotten are a miracle. Sometimes things are just hard and not a conspiracy to deprive people of good things.
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