Mary Wilson
Well-known member
Perspective
July 26, 2023
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2307867
Xavier Becerra, J.D., and Ashish Jha, M.D., M.
The development of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines and treatments within a year after SARS-CoV-2 was first identified represents one of the great successes of modern science.[SUP]1[/SUP] Thanks to the ingenuity of scientists, along with cooperation between the U.S. government and the private sector, these medical countermeasures changed the trajectory of the pandemic, saving millions of lives in the United States and tens of millions globally. Today, nearly 70% of Americans have received their primary vaccination series, including nearly 95% of those over 65 years of age.[SUP]2[/SUP]
Although the numbers of deaths and hospitalizations due to Covid-19 have dropped by more than 90% since President Joe Biden took office, our fight against SARS-CoV-2 is not over. The virus continues to evolve rapidly[SUP]3[/SUP] and still causes substantial numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths each day. The emergence of new variants is hard to predict and continues to threaten the ability of countermeasures such as monoclonal antibodies to protect vulnerable patients. Immunity from both vaccines and infection wanes over time. The only way to stay ahead of the virus is to continue to update the composition of our vaccines and administer them in a regular cadence. Although this strategy is critical, with our current generation of vaccines, it also requires immense resources for mounting frequent vaccination campaigns — at a time when antivaccination sentiment continues to grow and the public’s appetite for regular vaccinations has waned.
Next-generation vaccines and treatments are needed if we are to break the cycle of responding to new variants as they appear: we need tools that can improve our bodies’ ability to stop infections, reduce transmission, build longer-lasting immunity, and target parts of the virus that are less likely to evolve.[SUP]4[/SUP] Ideally, such vaccines and treatments would provide better protection, enabling us to avoid disruptions of our lives and continue to enjoy the activities we value. ...
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2307867
July 26, 2023
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2307867
Xavier Becerra, J.D., and Ashish Jha, M.D., M.
The development of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines and treatments within a year after SARS-CoV-2 was first identified represents one of the great successes of modern science.[SUP]1[/SUP] Thanks to the ingenuity of scientists, along with cooperation between the U.S. government and the private sector, these medical countermeasures changed the trajectory of the pandemic, saving millions of lives in the United States and tens of millions globally. Today, nearly 70% of Americans have received their primary vaccination series, including nearly 95% of those over 65 years of age.[SUP]2[/SUP]
Although the numbers of deaths and hospitalizations due to Covid-19 have dropped by more than 90% since President Joe Biden took office, our fight against SARS-CoV-2 is not over. The virus continues to evolve rapidly[SUP]3[/SUP] and still causes substantial numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths each day. The emergence of new variants is hard to predict and continues to threaten the ability of countermeasures such as monoclonal antibodies to protect vulnerable patients. Immunity from both vaccines and infection wanes over time. The only way to stay ahead of the virus is to continue to update the composition of our vaccines and administer them in a regular cadence. Although this strategy is critical, with our current generation of vaccines, it also requires immense resources for mounting frequent vaccination campaigns — at a time when antivaccination sentiment continues to grow and the public’s appetite for regular vaccinations has waned.
Next-generation vaccines and treatments are needed if we are to break the cycle of responding to new variants as they appear: we need tools that can improve our bodies’ ability to stop infections, reduce transmission, build longer-lasting immunity, and target parts of the virus that are less likely to evolve.[SUP]4[/SUP] Ideally, such vaccines and treatments would provide better protection, enabling us to avoid disruptions of our lives and continue to enjoy the activities we value. ...
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2307867