Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Confusion ?


After I recently read some interesting things concerning Covid, vaccines, and herd immunity in a recent Wall Street Journal article, I thought, “What we have here is total confusion!” 

This WSJ article was primarily about vaccinating children for Covid. The gist of this article was that the vaccine that we now have is not meant for children or adolescents, and while a vaccine for adolescents “might” be available by the start of the 2021 school year, there is no foreseeable date for a vaccine for children. According to Roberta DeBiasi, the chief of Infectious Disease at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, the risk of Covid for children and adolescents is very low . . . “In general, children do not get as seriously sick from the new coronavirus at the same rates as adults do.”

In the same context herd immunity was mentioned, and the latest on herd immunity is that 75-80% of the US population needs to be immune to Covid for herd immunity to be achieved. Okay so far, so good. 

Then a Harvard epidemiologist says, “It will be very, very difficult for us to reach herd immunity before vaccines are available to younger individuals.” – but, . . . there is no probable availability for a vaccine meant for children in the near future. Confusion ?

To me from the prior three assertions, there is only one possible conclusion . . . in order to get close to herd immunity, more of a low risk group (namely children and adolescents) have to become immune, and at present and for the near future, the only way for this to happen is for them to catch the virus. So the next logical step is . . . to keep schools closed to in-person learning . . . Huh? Sounds like total confusion. 

Still again from the same WSJ article experts say, “Until herd immunity is reached measures such as social distancing and mask wearing will need to remain in place, even for those who have been vaccinated.” . . . What ? The whole purpose of the vaccine is to protect individuals from catching the virus, and if those vaccinated are protected, then why in the world would they continue to wear masks? Again this sounds like total confusion!

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