Why Doctors Don’t Think Vaccine Skeptics’ Acceptance of a Helpful COVID-19 Treatment is Enough

[ad_1]

Treatment with monoclonal antibodies. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images

The monoclonal antibodies produced by Regeneron and Eli Lilly have become widely accepted as an effective treatment for COVID-19, quickly reducing symptoms and keeping infected people out of hospital if they act quickly enough. Doctors and vaccine skeptics are supporters, but some medical experts argue that antibodies alone are not enough to compensate for slower absorption of vaccines, The New York Times reports.

The simple explanation is that the more people vaccinated, the fewer people there will be who will need some kind of coronavirus cure. Beyond that, infusions also take a long time and require a lot of attention from hospital staff. They are also more expensive, costing the federal government about $ 2,100 per dose. “It’s cumbersome on resources, it’s hard to give, and a vaccine costs $ 20 and could prevent almost all of that,” said Dr Christian Ramers, infectious disease specialist and head of population health at Family San Diego Health Centers. Times. Basically, Ramers said, focusing on monoclonal antibodies and minimizing vaccines is “investing in auto insurance without investing in brakes.”

The other concern is that they cannot keep pace with more serious outbreaks. For starters, treatments only help individual patients, while vaccines snowball, and they also don’t provide protective immunity (although patients have acquired natural immunity through their infection), the Times Remarks. Ultimately, while monoclonal antibodies are a vital tool in the fight against the coronavirus, “something like that just isn’t spreading,” said Dr Howard Huang, medical manager of the Houston infusion program. Methodist. Times. Read more on The New York Times.

You may also like