Ready for the next wave?

Thankfully, a moment of relative calm has arrived in the pandemic. Daily new cases have plunged from January peaks and the initial omicron wave, terrible as it was, is passing. This is precisely the moment when the government should be preparing for the future — a readiness made possible because we now have the technology and the time. A funding package for vaccines, antivirals, testing and more would be smart and forward-looking.

Instead, Congress has been twisted into delay and inaction by Republican demands for audits and pay-fors. Normally we are among those who champion accountability and responsibility for the public purse. But in this instance, the need is overwhelmingly clear, the window of opportunity narrow and the stakes high. It makes sense to invest today in anticipation of another surge — an expenditure that will save lives and protect hard-won gains in getting the country back to normal.

Will there be another surge? After five waves, another does not seem out of the question. The real unknown is whether the roulette wheel of evolution will produce another variant of concern, like delta and omicron. The worst that can happen is not too much preparation, but too little.

Most concerning is the question of funding more vaccines. The Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for a second coronavirus vaccine booster dose for people 50 and older, and many parents of very young children are waiting for news about vaccines for those under 5. That’s not to mention the potential need for a reformulated vaccine to confront a new variant, if it arises. President Biden warned that “if Congress fails to act, we won’t have the supply we need this fall to ensure that shots are available, free, easily accessible for all Americans.”

Up until now, federal purchasing of vaccines, diagnostic tests and supplies has guaranteed a supply and moved manufacturers to keep their production lines open. If the government stops pre-purchasing, it could throw the nation back into supply shortages, as already happened once with tests. Have we learned nothing?