The View from the Hermitage, Day 470

New findings suggest that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may protect people for years as long as the virus and variants don't change too much. Even if the virus does change significantly, people who recovered from covid-19 before being vaccinated may not need boosters. Research is also suggesting that mixing the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines appears to offer good protection. Countries that have been administering the Sinovac vaccine may want to offer a different vaccine as a second or third dose to the people who initially got Sinovac. In Indonesia, 26 doctors have died from covid this month, 10 of whom were fully vaccinated with Sinovac. In central Java, 500 medical workers have tested positive in the last two weeks. All had been fully vaccinated. The Philippines health department said they would no longer tell the public which vaccination sites had which vaccines after people started waiting at 2:00 am at a site said to have the Pfizer vaccine instead of Sinovac.

The outbreaks Down Under continue. Sydney now has 130 cases, and there are new outbreaks of varying sizes in Darwin, Brisbane, Canberra, and Perth. However, there have been no deaths from covid this year, and only two people have been in intensive care. Experts say that what is needed now is strong adherence to public health guideline and good luck.

Speaking of adherence to public health guidelines, human behavior is far more important in shaping the course of the pandemic than any known variant. Changes in activity such as travel, failure to mask, not keeping socially distant, and remaining unvaccinated will help spread covid as much as or more than any variant. While the Delta variant did sweep over India, breached containment measures, crowds, and a poor public health infrastructure contributed to the spread. Figuring out the precise details of a variant may take years of research. Human behavior can be changed much more easily. The thoughts in this paragraph come from Amy B. Rosenfeld and Vincent R. Racaniello. They are not psychologists, but virologists and are very wise in the ways of human behavior.

Here in the US, one of the major barriers to mass immunity is that young adults in their late teens and 20s don't see themselves as being at great risk. As a result, they're not getting vaccinated. According to a recent federal report, only about a third of adults ages 18 to 39 report having been vaccinated. Rates are especially low among Black people; people ages 24 and younger; and people with lower incomes, less education, and no health insurance. While some people in this age range are staunchly opposed to vaccinations, a large portion are skeptical or not really interested. The people in these two groups are persuadable if the right means can be found. Of course, as cases and deaths drop in the US, it becomes harder to convince anyone how important it is to be vaccinated.

I made June's Instant Pot meal last night, Penne Bolognese from Instant Pot Obsession, and it will be made again ... and again ... and again. It was that good. Son #1 took the leftovers home with him this morning; I'll hear his review tomorrow. I expect he will like it as much as The Professor and I did. I'm thinking of mixing things up in July and trying a breakfast dish or a dessert.