American coronavirus: forecast predicts 185 million people vaccinated by September

With more and more variants identified around the world, like B.1.617 which has skyrocketed cases in India, officials are rushing to encourage Americans to get vaccinated and help the country achieve herd immunity before vaccine-resistant variants developed and reached the United States.

On Friday morning, Pfizer / BioNTech announced that it had started seeking full approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration for its vaccine for people 16 years of age and older. This is the first Covid-19 vaccine in the United States to be evaluated for full approval by the FDA.

From there, demand will likely decline as the United States hits the wall of people hesitant to get vaccinated, the researchers said.

Officials and health experts have decided to tackle this vaccine hesitancy and reach the 70-85% of the total population who need to be immunized against the virus – through vaccination or a previous infection – to control its vaccine. spread.

Incentives and requirements could help, survey finds

Cash, workplace clinics and mandatory vaccines before travel or big events could encourage more people to get vaccinated, the Kaiser Family Foundation said Thursday.

According to the survey, three in ten adults who do not want to be vaccinated immediately said they would be more likely to get the vaccine if offered in a place they normally go for health care or if they did not. ‘needed only one dose. It was conducted from April 15 to 29 and consisted of 2,097 American adults.

And as the United States braces for the expected emergency use authorization of Pfizer / BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use in 12 to 15 year olds next week, the Kaiser Family Foundation has also found that 19% of parents said they definitely won ‘t get their children vaccinated.

KFF notes that “parents’ intentions to vaccinate their children against Covid-19 largely correspond to their own experiences and vaccination intentions”.

Reopening and relaxation measures

With demand for vaccines and reported cases declining, many officials are scaling back their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Missouri National Guard has started reducing its involvement in mass vaccination sites, Governor Mike Parson said Thursday.

“In the beginning, the demand for vaccines far exceeded the supply of vaccines. Now we are seeing the reverse of that, and the need for large-scale vaccination events has diminished,” Parson said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has announced a timeline to end Covid-19 restrictions, including the state mask mandate.

“So our path forward is pretty clear. Minnesota now, the next three weeks really, it’s up to you to get the shot,” Walz said. “It’s up to you to talk to your neighbors. It’s up to you to talk to your doctors. We have them available. They are there. Every person who receives this pushes us further.”

Boosters may be needed to take variants

Initial doses may not be the end of the fight, as vaccine officials say, a booster may be needed in the coming year.

“Reinfections will happen at some point, and the best way to ensure that we do not have further outbreaks in well-vaccinated countries is to boost and maintain the highest possible levels of neutralizing immunity,” Dr Stephen Hoge, chairman of pharmaceutical company Moderna, said Thursday.

Moderna said on Wednesday that a booster shot of his vaccine increased the immune response against two disturbing variants of the coronavirus: the B.1.351 variant first seen in South Africa and the P.1 variant first seen in South Africa. Brazil.

A waning immune response in people naturally infected with the virus also suggests a potential need for boosters, Ozlem Tureci, co-founder and medical director of BioNTech, told CNN.

Pfizer / BioNTech says evidence shows 90% effectiveness in preventing symptomatic disease, Tureci said.

“The good news is that mRNA technology allows frequent callbacks,” she said.