Re “Don’t try to claim the COVID vaccine in the name of nationalism,” Opinion, Dec. 15

I’ve written to The Times before to criticize columnist Jonah Goldberg, but it’s time I acknowledge his role in getting the truth out over these last four years. In his most recent column decrying vaccine nationalism, he said what needed to be said.

It’s important to point out the worldwide effort that got us here. Goldberg notes the ethnicities of the major contributors and demonstrates even in America there are people of many backgrounds involved in this research.

But he never mentioned Moncef Slaoui, the scientific head of the Trump administration’s effort to quickly develop and deploy COVID- 19 vaccines. He is a Moroccan- born, Belgian American researcher.

So while Vice President Mike Pence credited the “public- private partnership” forged by President Trump, we should acknowledge the worldwide effort that went into creating these vaccines.

John Harduvel Huntington Beach

Goldberg neglected to discuss one aspect of nationalism for which we in the U. S. can take credit in rolling out a coronavirus vaccine.

Led by a president who mocked preventive measures, rates of infection in our country proceeded at “warp speed.” The vaccine trials were able to be completed so quickly because the spread of infection was unimpeded. Jacquelyn Flaskerud

La Jolla

At this time, I am reminded of a statement by Winston Churchill when World War II was beginning to finally take a turn in the Allies’ favor. With cautious optimism he said: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” History repeats itself.

Beth Cowden Rancho Palos Verdes