A good read by Don McNeil Jr: What is Biden Waiting For?

He argues that the federal government needs to do a lot more, including the use of vaccine mandates to control this pandemic.

Some excerpts:

• Why is this administration so hesitant about saving American lives? And the American economy?….
• The key to saving lives is vaccine. The key to reopening offices and factories is vaccine. The key to reopening schools is vaccine. The key to keeping bars and restaurants open in cold weather is vaccine. The key to travel and shopping is vaccine. Vaccine in everybody….
• mRNA vaccines start waning after six months. Israel is already offering booster shots to everyone over 60. We must do the same….We are too fearful of very rare side effects…
• Why in the world do we not yet have federal vaccine passports? In a land of block-chain currencies, QR code menus, encrypted texts and microchip credit cards, those little CDC-logo flashcards are just pathetic…
• It’s also time to drop “religious exemptions.” No major religion — not one, from Confucianism to Catholicism — opposes vaccination…
• We need to treat deliberate disinformation for what it is: a betrayal of the American public.

My take: With the emergence of the Delta variant, it will take a much higher level of vaccination/natural immunity (>95%) to control this pandemic. Vaccination is a much safer strategy than natural immunity (after infections).

Also, NEJM Quick take: Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines (1:29 min). Pfizer-(BNT162b2) vaccine had 88% effectiveness against Delta variant in England after 2 doses compared to 94% for alpha variant..