I have no idea why yesterday's post turned three paragraphs into three way-too-long lines. It appears that my efforts to fix it worked, though I will now have two posts with the same publication date.
Less than 10 percent of people over the age of 65 have gotten the bivalent booster. That's even worse than our other vaccination stats. While 79 percent of the population has gotten at least one basic dose of vaccine, less than 40 percent has gotten any booster(s). We rank 73rd in the world for boosters per 100 residents. While those people who opted out of the basic vaccination are not going to be signing up for boosters, it should be possible to persuade those who have had the basic vaccinations to get at least some of the boosters.
So far, covid is showing no signs of being seasonal as influenza is, meaning that an annual booster may not be an option. In fact, the leader of the FDA's vaccines operations worries that at the rate covid mutates, we may need yet another booster in the next year. He notes, "I'm not saying that's what's going to happen, but it's what keeps me up at night, because we see how fast this virus is evolving."
And on a general note, Pfizer may charge between $100 and $130 for a vaccine dose once the government stops buying the doses being given now. The gods help those people with no health insurance.
We continue to float atop, dangling our feet into a "variant soup." The BQ.1.1 and XBB variants are the most immune evasive variants yet followed closely by BA.1.75.2. These variants are resistant to the only monoclonal antibody left that worked well against the preceding variants. They are also resistant to Evusheld, used for prevention by immunocompromised people. In other words, we may be getting ready to slip off our raft to start dog paddling as fast as we can.
National Assessment of Educational Progress results have been released, the first results since before the pandemic began. Math scores for eighth graders fell in nearly every state. Only 26 percent of eighth graders are proficient, compared with 34 percent in 2019. Math scores for fourth graders fell in 41 states. While 41 percent of fourth graders were proficient in math in 2019, only 36 percent are now. Reading scores declined in over half the states, with no state showing a sizable improvement. Only one in three fourth graders were proficient in reading. The Secretary of Education summarized the results: "I want to be very clear: The results in today's nation's report card are appalling and unacceptable. This is a moment of truth for education. How we respond to this will determine not only our recovery, but our nation's standing in the world." I'm actually not sure what our standing is now, so that last part may or may not be true. Scores for students in the state in which I live, Virginia, were roughly the same as the national averages.
As people start to declare the pandemic over, the time is running out to lay any groundwork to prepare for future pandemics. There are three vital areas to consider: (1) disease surveillance, (2) strengthening the global healthcare workforce, and (3) ensuring equitable access to treatments and vaccines. The White House's pandemic preparedness plan warns that "future pandemics could be far worse." In the wide area of pandemics, it is worth keeping in mind that "you can't see what you're not looking for." I am afraid that if the Republican party gains control of both houses of Congress, the government will stop looking while the next pandemic creeps up on us.
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