There is light at the end of the tunnel. A study of 1 million people conducted in Israel that was published by the New England Journal of Medicine confirms the Pfizer BioNTech’s vaccine is 94-95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with symptoms. The study is the largest to date and was greats news for all of us. As of February, Israel has vaccinated more than half of its population and is on track to achieve herd immunity in the next few months. An article and a link to the study appears here. Scientists estimate that 70% of the population would need to be vaccinated in order to achieve that herd immunity and keep the virus under control. Skepticism about vaccines in the U.S. has surged in recent years. I don’t subscribe to those opinions, but I don’t totally dismiss them either. The healthcare industry and big pharma are incredibly powerful forces in American politics, and people have good reason to question a system that is driven by profit as much as it is by science. On the other hand, vaccines are one of the top three discoveries of the 20th century, eradicating diseases like polio and the measles, and saving millions of lives worldwide. If enough people in our country reject vaccines altogether, the result could be catastrophic – especially for our children. Latinos, for some reason, appear to be among the most fearful of the coronavirus vaccine. This worries me, and is why research like the Israel study is so important. If you have concerns about the vaccine, read the study. I am hopeful that the anti-vaxxer movement in the U.S. doesn’t keep the rest of us from returning to a normal life in 2021. Get vaccinated, please.
NAHREP has reasons for both optimism and concern about a second Trump term...
On Friday evening, the LA Dodgers won game one of the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees in glorious fashion, with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off grand slam home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. For Dodger fans, the game could not have been scripted better...
With the presidential election only three weeks away, partisans on both sides are taking off the gloves with rhetoric that vilifies their opponents and fires up their minions. Most people believe that our country is more divided than ever. Indeed, the days when liberal and conservative candidates can debate their views respectfully seem like a distant memory. At the risk of oversimplifying things too much, let me cut to the chase about what is driving the divisions in the country.