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.
