8 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – March 8 2021”

  1. U.S. is proving to be a formidable competitor in the vaccination race as its vaccination rate is now 3 times the E.U. average. [I’m shocked and was totally wrong in my prediction last December]. Many analysts have attributed the problem to supply issues in Europe. This is certainly a factor. I argue, however, that vaccine hesitancy – so the demand side – is equally problematic and may be an even more difficult hurdle to overcome in Europe. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2021/03/08/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-is-worse-in-eu-than-us/?sh=3c00306c611f

    1. Since vaccinations began, testing has been way down. The medical community believes that regular testing still needs to be done, especially so that those variants can be monitored and kept in check.

      As for vaccinations, I learned just today, that everyone here in MA will be able get them sometime in April. Many “front line” workers are upset that teachers are now next in line to get vaccinated ahead of them. Can’t say that I blame them since schools in general are not really main sources of the virus.

  2. According to the CDC, 90% of Americans still have NOT been fully vaccinated, or vaccinated at all.

    Certainly myself included.

    1. Not accurate. ~88% of adults haven’t been fully vaccinated. And ~76% of adults in America haven’t had any doses of vaccine.

      The more important breakdown is as follows:

      60 million Americans have received their first dose.

      24% of adults
      60% of 65+
      70% of 75+

      Close to 32 million Americans have received their second doses.

      12% of adults
      30% of 65+
      39% of 75+

      This is astoundingly good news, and a massive accomplishment for a nation as large and complex as ours. I never thought that this would be possible here. I was dead wrong. This is a flag-waving moment, in my view. To have not only come up with 3 of the world’s best vaccines in an incredibly short span of time – one of the vaccine’s did have quite a bit of help from Germany – but to have also been administering these to the tune of 2 million a day. In this country, in all its stunning fragmentation. I can’t over this.

      1. I am confused again. Philip said 90% of Americans not vaccinate. And if I’m reading correctly you said 88%

        I don’t see 24% of adults with log jams everywhere …maybe that is good. If it is the most important 24%. I am just frustrated with the lack of efficiency and priorities. I’m seeing many teachers vaccinated now and yet my brother and his wife who is a cancer survivor with one lung won’t have their first till March 16.

        1. Philip wrote “90% of Americans still have NOT been fully vaccinated, or vaccinated at all.” That is not accurate. 88% have not been fully vaccinated, and 76% have not had a first dose (so 24% have been vaccinated with a 1st dose).

          I agree with you, Vicki, that the priorities have been off at times. And the states have each issued very different sets of guidelines. Personally, I think priority should be given to the most vulnerable, which includes your brother’s wife.

          My point is the big picture of vaccinations in the U.S. And it’s extraordinarily impressive. You may recall that in December and even well into January we were vaccinating a pitiful number: 200k-300k a day nationwide! That number is now well over 2 million a day nationwide. I really find that amazing, especially the breakdown I presented in my previous post:

          60 million Americans have received their first dose.

          24% of adults
          60% of 65+
          70% of 75+

          Close to 32 million Americans have received their second doses.

          12% of adults
          30% of 65+
          39% of 75+

          The U.K. is ahead of us, and Israel, but that’s really it among industrialized nations. In Canada just 3.6%!!! have received a 1st dose. Across the E.U. there are many countries with similarly low numbers. Never in a million years would I have expected the U.S. to out-vaccinate the E.U., and it’s not even a close race. When I analyzed the numbers yesterday I thought I was seeing typos. I wasn’t.

          On vaccine receptiveness the numbers blew me away. Since November African American vaccine hesitancy has fallen nearly 20 percentage points. More than 60% are now vaccine receptive or have already gotten a vaccine. And then among Republicans the increase in vaccine receptiveness of 10 percentage points in 3 months; among Democrats 15 percentage points. At this rate, the U.S. will have well over 70% of the total population vaccine receptive soon, perhaps by May or June. This is very encouraging as it means herd immunity will be reached. The E.U. numbers on the other hand, are at least 10 to 15 percentage points lower in terms of vaccine receptiveness, and in some countries 20 points lower! They have a lot of ground to make up. They can do it. Their infrastructure is better than ours to accomplish it. Yet, there doesn’t appear to be the same sense of urgency.

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