US Infectious Disease Expert Predicts COVID-19 Herd Immunity Could Happen By Sept 2021

Just as we absolutely cannot wait for 2020 to end in hopes that next year will bring about less challenges and a fresh start, we also cannot wait for COVID-19 to finally end and for our normal lives to return.

However, 2021 might just be the blessed year that gives us both of these wishes, if we can allow ourselves to have that little bit of hope in these difficult times with this piece of good news.

Americans Could Be Vaccinated Soon

With the news all over the headlines recently that two companies, Moderna and Pfizer, have come up with a COVID-19 vaccine that showed positive results during testing, you’ve probably heard about it already.

As we’ve covered a week ago, Moderna’s efficacy rate against the virus is a high 94.1%, with a 100% efficacy rate against contracting severe diseases, despite needing to use two shots. This also left the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases surprised as to how high the efficacy rates for both Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are.

However, the question as to when exactly these vaccines would be available for use amongst the public remained – only to be shed light on today.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the US government’s top infectious disease doctor, announced in an online news conference Colorado governor Jared Polis that the average American with no co-existing medical conditions or elevated risks would be able to start accessing vaccines from April 2021.

He also forecasted that with its release, the majority of Americans could be vaccinated against the virus by the end of summer in 2021, which would lead to herd immunity. If the response towards the immunisation is positive and there is a high take up rate, most Americans are expected to have been vaccinated by the end of August later in the year.

That is to say, if Americans are actually willing to take such a vaccine, in a country where people have been increasingly protesting against the use of vaccines in an anti-vaccine movement amongst conspiracy theories fueled by fake news.

Dr Fauzi added that the herd immunity “would allow you to safely get people back to school in the fall, to safely get people back to the kinds of work that would otherwise be difficult as you get to the middle and the end of the summer.”

Vaccines To Be Distributed Soon, Too

Currently, both vaccine companies have since requested for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US to grant them an emergency use authorisation.

On 1 December, Vice President Mike Pence also announced that vaccines could be sent out as early as the third week of December, suggesting that the authorisation for the first shots will be swiftly approved by US regulators.

Within 24 hours of the approval, the government is optimistic in sending the “historic, life-saving vaccine to every zip code in the United States”, said White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern.

Wow, that’s faster than the speed of reckless PMD drivers.

President Donald Trump also plans to hold a coronavirus vaccine summit next week on 8 December, with leaders from state governments, the military and scientific community present to discuss the situation.

Of course, President Trump would not let such a breakthrough go through without his favourite activity, self-praising. Claiming personal credit for accelerating the development of the vaccine thanks to the government’s “Operation Warp Speed” program, the president said that he “came up with vaccines that people didn’t think we’d have for five years.”

It’s not only the United States that might see a swift administration of the vaccine – Moderna has also sought approval from the authorities back home in Singapore to use the vaccine here.

If approved, the first batch might even arrive this month for use before the end of the year or in January 2021.

Keep your fingers crossed and your mask on while we wait, fellow Singaporeans.

For all you know, CNY 2021 might be the same as CNY 2020.

Featured Image: Alex Gakos / Shutterstock.com