We need a better COVID vaccine, and we need it now
We’re in what looks like the beginning of yet another coronavirus wave here in New Jersey, this one of the BA.2.12.1 variety of the Omicron variant, whatever the hell that means.
Cases are ticking up and it appears we’re in for it again, although we’ll probably be just fine, as it appears this variant — while highly contagious
— isn’t causing a bunch of hospitalizations despite the fact it seems pretty impervious to prior infection and/or vaccines.
To be clear: It certainly appears prior infection or vaccination helps (tremendously) to prevent against serious illness, but you still might end up with a touch of the coronavirus.
And it’s easy to say “whatever” to this right now, as — and again, especially if you’ve already had COVID or have been vaccinated and boosted — it doesn’t seem like all that big a deal.
But here’s the thing: We’re just lucky.
Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, has been writing about COVID since day one, and he’s definitely more on the “oh boy, this is bad” side, and has been since the beginning. (I read a lot of experts, you should know.)
In his most recent substack, two items jumped out.
One, it’s a myth that variants will get less virulent over time. More than likely, it’s a crapshoot, and we rolled a seven when it comes to Omicron. In short: We got lucky. The next variant might not be so wellbehaved and less-terrible.
And two? We’ve got our heads in the sand on this.
Topol calls for tons more research and development into variantproof vaccines. He writes: “The priority and support for far better vaccines that would be variant-proof has not taken hold. Here is the current list with only a few in development that have reached clinical trials; there is nothing like the Operation Warp Speed accelerated, dedicated initiative that helped make the initial vaccines a major success.”
The list contains five variantproof vaccines, of which three are in clinical trials.
“This is not the time to let up, cut resources,” Topol continues. “It’s vital to anticipate the worst case scenario instead of just hoping it won’t occur. We’d all be relieved if everything calmed down following the wave of different BA. variants that are
cropping up around the world now. Let’s not pretend this is over or we’re at some illusory ‘endemic’ steady state.”
So yeah. We are not quite over the hump just yet. In fact, we’re not even at the hump.
And while Topol was a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic, the fact is Operation
Warp Speed happened under Trump’s watch, and it worked. (Please note here me praising Trump is like Fonzie saying “I was wrong.” It pains me.)
Today, Operation Warp Speed isn’t called that anymore — the Biden administration put the kibosh on that — and its now folded into the White House COVID-19 Response Team.
Well, call it what you want, but if Topol is saying we need an “accelerated, dedicated initiative” then dammit, we need one.
We’ve been lulled into a bit of a false sense of security. We got lucky with Omicron. There’s no telling what’s next. The Biden administration needs to do whatever they have to do to get variant-proof vaccines up and running.
While it may not seem as important as the original Operation Warp Speed, the science says otherwise.
Get off your duff, Biden, and me more like Trump. (Sentences I never thought I’d say for $600, Alex.)