Vaccines Are On Their Way – But So Are the Variants

It’s been a year since the pandemic invaded our country – and the world – and began infecting and killing people. There are now have been 3 million U.S. citizens infected, and the death toll will soon exceed 500,000. But, help is on the way. Two vaccines have been approved and have begun to be administered into the arms of Americans.

Soon, Johnson & Johnson hopes to have emergency approval of their vaccine. If approved, they will be joining Pfizer and Moderna in the race to vaccinate the world.

But, this progress is complicated by the emerging variants of the virus that have begun to appear in the U.S. The UK, South African, and Brazilian mutations are surging throughout the world. Now they have begun showing up in cases in the United States.

Emerging Variants Are Concerning

Studies have found these variants are more easily transmitted, meaning that there’s a greater chance of it spreading. This, in turn, means more hospitalizations and more deaths.

Adding to the problem are recent reports that indicate both vaccines are less effective in preventing infection by these variants. It might mean requiring a booster shot be added to the immunization plan.

The Biden administration has prioritized the response to the vaccination effort, pledging to vaccinate at least 100 million people in the first 100 days of his administration. But it’s a race against time as the virus keeps mutating and becoming resilient to the current vaccines.

Recently, the National Football League has said that all NFL football teams are willing to have their stadiums used for mass innoculations for COVID-19. That means that, conceivably, Lumen Field in Seattle could soon be turned into a mass-vaccination site.

Time will tell, but in the meantime the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is stressing that it’s important to wear a mask in public, socially distance, don’t gather in large groups, and wash your hands frequently.

Sources: Center for Disease Control, State of Washington