Posted on 08/08/2020 9:56:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It means it’s possible that it might only prevent 50-60% of cases. Still a huge win even if it’s true. Also, there are multiple vaccine candidates in phase 3 clinical trials right now, so it’s unclear what he’s even basing any of that off of, but even if that’s the case, if everyone gets the vaccine and it’s 50% effective, and 20% of the country has already had COVID-19, we’re right at the 70% needed for herd immunity.
So whether what he’s saying is true or not doesn’t matter. When one or more vaccine candidates is approved becomes available in large quantities (and they’re already mass producing doses during the trials), this whole thing ends. That’s why President Trump has been pushing so hard for months now to get a vaccine going. He knows that’s how this whole thing ends and he emerges as the hero who ended it.
I can’t tell if that’s intended as a joke or not. It’s definitely not what it means in either case.
They’re never 100% effective, but it’s irresponsible for someone in his position to speculate about this without a lot of context around it. For one thing, which vaccine? There are several candidates in phase 3 clinical trials. It’s likely multiple vaccines will be available before the end of the year. The free market will lean toward the best of the bunch. And even if the best is only 50% effective, that’s a lot better than the 0% effective vaccine we don’t have today.
How exactly is this vaccine, that does nothing for 50% of the people, if that, better than doing nothing, which has a 95%+ success rate?
You’re suggesting we not use a tool that will prevent millions of hospitalizations and hundreds of thousands of deaths because it isn’t 100% effective in every case?
If 100% effectiveness is the bar now, we can just shut down every hospital and send home every doctor right now. No treatments or preventative measures for anything because nothing is 100%.
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