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United States coronavirus cases have increased again after hitting a low point late last month, and some of the states driving the upward trend have also been hit hardest by variants.
Vaccine rollout in the United States has been undeniably slow. And while we wait, worrisome new coronavirus variants are emerging, heightening the urgency to control the pandemic. Some variants, including ones first identified in Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom, have mutations that help the coronavirus evade parts of the immune system, raising the specter that some people might face a second round of COVID-19.
The Covid-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. are approximately 95% effective at preventing people from getting sick with symptoms, according to Pfizer and Moderna, the companies that produce them. But scientists are still studying whether vaccination prevents transmission to others.
Health Management and Policy professor Scott Greer discusses methods for people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Malosh says getting as many people vaccinated as possible will be key to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Until then, he says, public health measures such as social distancing, wearing a mask, and hand washing continue to be people's best protection.
The first Covid-19 vaccine expected to be deployed in the U.S. won the backing of a panel of government advisers, a step that will likely help clear the way for emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.