What still is an unanswered question in my mind, but I keep hearing projections about, is when will we reach the 70 percent critical mass of vaccinations that provides a "virus killing" ability to constrain the spread of the disease. Some "people in the know" have said as early as May. Another expert says June. I see the vaccine availability as being the constraining factor. It would be great if by the time September has arrived we have vaccines approved for most school-aged children and schools and universities can go back to in-class instruction. Like everything else, time will be the determiner.
It is also pointed out in the podcast that some areas of the country may by default reach herd immunity because of their total lack of effort to control the virus. It all sounds good for those left alive after the virus sweeps through a community and everybody who was going to get it has been sick and either recovered or died. That is a rough way to "survive" in my opinion.
"The U.S. Approves a Vaccine"
"The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday, clearing the way for millions of highly vulnerable people to begin receiving the vaccine within days. The authorization is a historic turning point in a pandemic that has taken more than 290,000 lives in the United States. With the decision, the United States becomes the sixth country — in addition to Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico — to clear the vaccine. Today, we ask the science and health reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. what might happen next. Guest: Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science and health reporter for The New York Times. For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. You can read the latest edition here. Background reading: Pfizer has a deal with the U.S. government to supply 100 million doses of the vaccine by next March. Under that agreement, the shots will be free to the public. The vaccines are on their way, but experts still say a difficult winter of coronavirus infection and death lies ahead."
