Fauci: US can get Covid under control by next year with more jabs

[AZProgressive]

Anthony Fauci, the top infectious diseases public official in the US, said on Tuesday that if America further ramps up vaccination rates and those already immunized take booster shots that it is feasible Covid-19 could be reduced from a pandemic emergency to endemic status next year.
More than 70% of adults in the US are fully vaccinated.

Fauci said if a lot more Americans take the vaccines, and if the US makes boosters available for everyone, the country could get control of the virus by spring of 2022.

But with his forecast Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to Joe Biden, was acknowledging what experts now widely believe: that Covid-19 cannot be eliminated and will likely become endemic, meaning it will always be present in the population to some degree, such as the flu or chickenpox.

Booster doses of the vaccines are vital for reaching the point where falling infection rates allow the disease to be downgraded from the current pandemic public health emergency to the status of endemic, Fauci explained in an interview on Tuesday during the Reuters Total Health conference.

https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/16/fauci-covid-endemic-vaccinations-boosters-us

[SoCalDavidS]

1. Forget About It

Sorry Dr. Fauci, but it's NOT going to happen.

We're going to struggle to reach 70%, and then there's the fact many won't even get the boosters. So pretty soon, it won't really be possible to know who's vaccinated and who's not.

That ship has sailed. We're going to live with Covid for the remainder of our lives. Some periods may be worse than others, but there's ZERO chance we'll get it "under control," next year, or Ever.

I'm not sure when or if we'll ever actually get through "pandemic" status. But it certainly won't be by early 2022.

[The Magistrate]

2. Your Pessimism Seems Warranted, Sir

I cannot recall when a plague has had the active support of a major political body in its spread.

But here we are....

[SoCalDavidS]

4. Dr. Fauci Talks About What Could Be

Even he knows that it's pure fantasy, but he's trying to keep an optimistic, best case scenario outlook.

[helpisontheway]

10. Right..If...if..if..🙄nt

[leftstreet]

3. Yep. Time to focus on treatment n/t

[helpisontheway]

11. Right. Hard enough to get people to vaccinate but then once it wanes they have to get a booster

Many people will not get a booster. I have heard people that we’re excited to get the first vaccine say they will not get the booster.

[ColinC]

5. I think as soon as children are regularly vaxxed, 70% will be easy.

But not sure how much more than that.

[SoCalDavidS]

6. I Would Not Count On A High % Of Children Getting Vaccinated

I bet we'll be lucky to hit 60% of those 12 and under getting vaccinated.

[ColinC]

7. I think if we just get 40- 50% if children, it'll translate to more than 70% overall

...not that I've done the math or anything.

[SoCalDavidS]

8. You May Be Right

I predicted many months ago, that we would end up with between 65 - 70% vaccinated. And it's going to be extremely slow going, getting from the current 58% to 70%. Best case scenario, IMO, is next April.

The additional problem is that a very low % of those vaccinated, are getting booster shots. So by next April, anybody who has gone 8-12 months since their 2nd shot, are essentially Unvaccinated again, due to declining efficacy.

It's kind of irrelevant at this point. Anything less than 85% is not going to stick. 70% may as well be 50%, because the virus is going to have more than enough room to continue spreading and perhaps mutating.

[helpisontheway]

9. Right..my husband told me the same thing last night

He wants to travel overseas next year for our 30th anniversary. I told him that I did not feel comfortable planning a trip to Europe. He said I might as well not travel overseas ever again. He said Covid is here to stay. He said the best we can do is to mask up and take the boosters that are recommended. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Regardless, I still do not feel comfortable knowing that there are variants out there. I’m taking the baby step of a one hr flight to Florida next month. Nervous about it but I will use a high quality mask (with a lighter one underneath) plus a faceshield.