I don't feel the energy to do the long write-up right now, but I am nearly 100% convinced that the US should adopt the UK's strategy of getting 1 dose to as many people as possible before doing second doses. And it looks like more and more experts are coming on board. It's not risk free, but the risks we facing going with a slower rate of immunization are wildly higher.
tl;dr - Our best data suggests 90% efficacy after 1 dose, and no reason to think it doesn't last at least as long as immunity from a COVID infection. Our biggest risk - one that dwarfs all others and leads to a million deaths - is that B.1.1.7 takes over before we reach herd immunity. If that happens, even our toughest lockdowns ever can't reduce the number of infections, and everything blows up.
Good threads:
https://twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/status/1344542385695580166
- michaelmina_lab
So here's my brilliant idea for the day:
We have 10-15% of the population who don't trust the science and won't get a COVID vaccine under any circumstances.
We have two vaccines approved, and many more in the pipeline. How do you choose which one is best for you?
Here's the idea - recruit the most popular astrologers and psychics to do readings for which vaccine will work for each of the skeptics. Virgos and Capricorns? Definitely Pfizer. Leos, stay away from Astra-Zeneca, Moderna is what you want. Better yet, call a psychic line for $2/minute and get your personal reading based on your phone aura.
Everybody wins.