Question for Weyoun RE: Omicron

[tlynn78]

Even my limited medical knowledge tells me that for a "promised Covid cure" to work - people have to take it first.

It has to exist, first.

[BackInTex]

Even my limited medical knowledge tells me that for a "promised Covid cure" to work - people have to take it first.

I'm sure you understand the difference in what a vaccine is and what a cure would be. If we had an effective vaccine, we'd need no cure. But we don't. Vaccines, masks, business shutdowns, and yet biology does what it does because it doesn't care.

There is no cure for the common cold, or Covid, which according to the medical experts are in the same virus family. And there's been no vaccine introduced for the common cold. Not necessary, yet there are some immunocompromised folks who if get a cold may die.

[jaybee]

This would be funny if it were a less serious subject. As it is this is just kind of sad.

[silverscreenselect]

And there's been no vaccine introduced for the common cold. Not necessary, yet there are some immunocompromised folks who if get a cold may die.

Some people do die of the common cold or its complications. Nowhere near the 400,000+ we've lost each year to COVID.

As far as whether we have an "effective" vaccine, that depends on what your definition of effective is. If it means highly likely to prevent you from hospitalization or death, then we have an effective vaccine. If it means 100% effective against becoming infected, there's no vaccine in the foreseeable medical future that will be able to do that for any disease.

The smallpox vaccine provides nearly full immunity for 3-5 years and lessening immunity after that and was 95% effective in preventing infections and effective as a treatment when given within a few days of infection. Smallpox was eradicated through a combination of vaccination and herd immunity.

[BackInTex]

And there's been no vaccine introduced for the common cold. Not necessary, yet there are some immunocompromised folks who if get a cold may die.

Some people do die of the common cold or its complications. Nowhere near the 400,000+ we've lost each year to COVID.

As far as whether we have an "effective" vaccine, that depends on what your definition of effective is. If it means highly likely to prevent you from hospitalization or death, then we have an effective vaccine. If it means 100% effective against becoming infected, there's no vaccine in the foreseeable medical future that will be able to do that for any disease.

The smallpox vaccine provides nearly full immunity for 3-5 years and lessening immunity after that and was 95% effective in preventing infections and effective as a treatment when given within a few days of infection. Smallpox was eradicated through a combination of vaccination and herd immunity.

We’ll, you’ve blamed the unvaccinated for the opportunity to develop variants. If the vaccines don’t prevent but only minimize impact perhaps they are responsible for the variants. Sort of like not completing a round of antibiotics may lead to stronger bacteria.

[silverscreenselect]

If the vaccines don’t prevent but only minimize impact perhaps they are responsible for the variants. Sort of like not completing a round of antibiotics may lead to stronger bacteria.

Wrong again. The vaccines prevent many people from catching COVID as well as limit its impact. All the studies have shown that people who have been vaccinated are considerably less likely to get COVID in the first place. The fewer people who have the disease, the fewer opportunities it has to mutate.

[Weyoun]

And there's been no vaccine introduced for the common cold. Not necessary, yet there are some immunocompromised folks who if get a cold may die.

Some people do die of the common cold or its complications. Nowhere near the 400,000+ we've lost each year to COVID.

As far as whether we have an "effective" vaccine, that depends on what your definition of effective is. If it means highly likely to prevent you from hospitalization or death, then we have an effective vaccine. If it means 100% effective against becoming infected, there's no vaccine in the foreseeable medical future that will be able to do that for any disease.

The smallpox vaccine provides nearly full immunity for 3-5 years and lessening immunity after that and was 95% effective in preventing infections and effective as a treatment when given within a few days of infection. Smallpox was eradicated through a combination of vaccination and herd immunity.

We’ll, you’ve blamed the unvaccinated for the opportunity to develop variants. If the vaccines don’t prevent but only minimize impact perhaps they are responsible for the variants. Sort of like not completing a round of antibiotics may lead to stronger bacteria.

That does not seem to be born out by the real life evidence.

Delta came out of India, which had a low vaccination rate at the time.

Omicron came out of South Africa, we try to load vaccination rate and also a lot of folks with HIV who did not have an immune system to even put pressure on the virus.

If Vermont was a source for variants you would have a point.