While the state of Texas is actively trying to murder their citizens, there’s still just so much good news about the pandemic and the vaccines. It’s very possible that in the next few months, lockdown restrictions will be justifiably eased. We’re hearing that the CDC will issue new guidelines in a few days about how vaccinated people can hang out together indoors soon. And the best possible news: the Biden administration aimed high with their vaccine productions goals and then they proceeded to completely defy those high expectations. There should be 300 million vaccinations by the end of May! MAY!!!
President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States would have enough Covid-19 vaccine doses for every adult American by the end of May, dramatically accelerating his timeline but acknowledging the country must still be vigilant against the virus. He also announced he would direct states to prioritize teachers in their vaccination plans, reemphasizing a commitment to returning students to classrooms amid a confusing administration stance on when and how classrooms can reopen.
The new date does not mean all Americans would receive shots by May 31; issues with distribution and personnel mean it could take much longer for all doses to be administered. But the speedier estimate, helped along by a new partnership between major US drugmakers, makes for an optimistic target as millions of Americans wait to receive their first doses. The timeline speeds up by two months the administration’s previous goal of having enough shots by the end of July.
“That’s progress,” Biden said in remarks from the White House, warning there could still be delays in getting shots in Americans’ arms and suggesting the country would not return to full normalcy for much longer.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we cannot let our guard down now to ensure victory is inevitable, we can’t assume that. We must remain vigilant, act fast and aggressively and look out for one another. That’s how we’re going to get ahead of this virus, get our economy going again and get back to our loved ones,” Biden said.
In his remarks, Biden announced that Merck would help manufacture a recently authorized vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson, which allowed for the new May goal. The arrangement is unusual and underscores the urgency in manufacturing and distributing enough vaccine doses to inoculate as many Americans as possible. Biden hailed the partnership as a way to quickly jumpstart the sluggish vaccine production, likening it to cooperation between corporations during World War II. The White House said it was utilizing the Defense Production Act to help equip two Merck facilities to manufacture the Johnson & Johnson product, including by bolstering “fill-finish” capacity when the doses are placed in vials and by increasing availability of the components of the vaccines.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a big deal because it’s only one shot, although the data suggests that the Moderna and Pfizer (two shot) vaccines are likely more effective overall. Still, the J&J vaccine is 100% effective at preventing severe cases of Covid. Meaning, if you get the J&J one-shot vaccine and you catch Covid, you won’t get terribly sick from it and you won’t have to be hospitalized. Which is HUGE! If we can simply make Covid the equivalent of a 48-hour cold for all people, that would be amazing. Anyway, more vaccines = good. Vaccines faster = good. The overwhelming majority of Americans vaccinated by June = INCREDIBLE.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Ugh Americans you lucky b@stards. You’re the country that handled the pandemic the worst but will be one of the first to get back to normal. As a Canadian, this is the first time during the pandemic I am jealous of you.
I have vaccine envy too! As an Albertan my vaccine dreams are far off..
Thanks. It’s only because we now have a competent leader. It is shameful that we lost so many to COVID-19 under the “Former Guy.”
I thought AU/NZ were already almost “back to normal” walking around w/out masks and such?
I know they quarantine people coming in for 2 wks, and contact trace whenever there’s a case or three, thereby keeping it from spreading again. Did they slip back??
I think NZ/AU are doing very well with very low cases. But those countries are so far away from me, it’s the U.S. I am jealous of as they are right next door ! It’s going to be hard to see the U.S. getting back to normal life while us Canadians will still be hiding in our homes until September it seems.
We’ll see. I work in healthcare and my company offered ALL employees to get vaccinated (and 6 family members over the age of 65). I jumped on it and got myself, my dad (evil stepmother included), and my in laws vaccinated. To me, it was a huge privilege to be able to do that. But you would be amazed how many coworkers I am surrounded by who refuse to get it. Adamantly refuse. And there’s a lot of them out there. They are the ones who I fear will keep this crap spreading and perpetuating because they don’t trust the government and they think masks are useless. 🙁
That’s so depressing. I only know a few people who are still hesitant, and they all are people who due to their circumstances should have been running to get it.
I can understand being hesitant very early on, but we’re approaching 80 million doses given and it seems overwhelmingly safe and effective. Hopefully those against it will change their minds.
It’s my sincere hope that many of the people who talk a big game on facebook or twitter about “refusing!” will actually get it on the downlow. They’re stupid enough to be MAGA but not too far gone to realize they’d rather not die.
History will not judge us kindly, whether we’re vaccinated or not. Too much death was allowed under the previous administration.
I’m a little nervous that people are getting so sick during the second dose. Basically, everyone I know who has had the second shot has gotten flu like symptoms. Bill Gates also mentioned that, due to the new variants, we might need THREE shots. I can’t wrap my head around giving every American two shots, let alone three. However, I’m trying to hang in there and stay positive as possible in hopes that things will get back to normal before 2022.
I didn’t sick at all with my 2nd dose and I know many who didn’t either. I don’t say that to argue with you, but instead to try and give you some hope about it. It’s really not bad.
Try NOT to be! I had 2 doses of Moderna. I had 2 days of being REALLY tired (slept a lot), and a bit dizzy…and DONE! A friend of mine had chills and tiredness for 1 full day, and another a fever and tiredness for less than 2 full days. And then for us all, NOTHING. ELSE.
This is pretty much no less than you would get from any other vaccine.
Personally, for me (and my peace of mind, as I have underlying health issues), this is SUCH a small price for knowing that if I *do* get sick, I won’t go into the hospital and/or possibly die from this.
Elliek my second vaccine wasn’t bad at all either. I think the folks who have the reactions are just a little louder than the ones that don’t. Don’t be nervous!
I hear reactions depend somewhat on pfizer vs moderna. So far everyone i know who got Moderna, did have a reaction (flu-like for a couple days) after the 2nd shot. People I know who got Pfizer were more or less fine after the 2nd shot. But this is purely anecdotal evidence, so take that for what you will.
No one I know has gotten sick with the 1st dose and only person I know had body aches with the second. That’s out of my parents, my aunt and uncle, my MIL, and about ten friends (and myself.) There’s such a range and I firmly believe that one day science will discover why certain people had greater sensitivity to the virus (and thus the vaccine). There’s too much of a range for it not to depend on something biological.
I’ve heard a reaction is actually good, because it shows your immune system remembers the virus and has activated against it. It is a sign that it is working.
After our second, I was achy the next day and fine by the next morning. My husband didn’t really have any symptoms. Friends who got it this weekend didn’t have any issues. The worse I’ve heard is chills and some fever for 24 hours. ITS NOTHING COMPARED TO GETTING COVID!
“If we can simply make Covid the equivalent of a 48-hour cold for all people, that would be amazing.”
THIS!!!! If we perhaps save the 2 dose for all health care workers and the most defenseless amongst us, and the rest of us get the J&J, can you IMAGINE the devastation that can avoided going forward? My God, we get yearly flu shots, pneumonia shots, MMR, Whopping Cough, the list goes on and on…we’ve been able to ERADICATE some HORRIBLE diseases and prevent many deaths and disabilities from others (Polio for one!). WTF MAKES THIS SO DIFFERENT??? (other than “the former guy” and his evil cabalists shitting all over it, for cruelty and greed)?
#GetYourVaccineToLIVE
Almost 4 days post first Moderna Covid vax- no side effects except some pain and redness at injection site. Am I wrong to be disappointed it didn’t turn me into a mutant? I’ve always wanted to be an X-men.
Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to make due with whatever microchip Bill Gates put in the shot. Hope whoever is monitoring the microchip enjoys following me on my morning coffee runs to Starbucks. 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
I had my 1st Moderna 2 weeks ago – within a few hours my arm was so sore I couldn’t pull up my pants or get dressed! 😅 I took 2 Advil and it loosened up in a day and a half. I felt achy and tired for a few days. My parents had both shots – my mother had a rash on her arm a few days later. I apparently felt much worse then they did.
having enough is one thing… getting them distributed is apparently another 🙁
Right now the supply seems to be the problem here, so hopefully with more and more of it, it gets easier for people to get appointments. But yeah, the distribution is tough. I’ve been following the numbers in my state and it’s definitely increasing almost every day, aside from the winter storms that closed everything a few times.
The J&J one is easier to store and transport as well, so I’m hoping that one can be used for getting out to harder to reach areas, mobile clinics, etc.