Life After the Covid Vaccine

Regardless of vaccinations, there is still a long road to beating the virus, especially while the pandemic is still largely a problem — restrictions will not end just because of a vaccine.

Dr. Timothy Brewer, professor of medicine for infectious diseases at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, states the importance of recognizing lag when it comes to the production of the vaccine due to high demand, thereby lengthening the time we begin to see change. It is not likely that what we used to think as “normal” will return.

An interesting example given by Dr. Brewer in understanding the way society will change because of the virus is the act of removing shoes at the airport during security checks. Though 9/11 happened 20 years ago, this act is still done during travel; we may still be employing 2020’s lifestyle changes for years to come. This also includes the work from home lifestyle, zoom meetings, and even hand shaking greetings.

The biggest importance that should continue to be stressed is that vaccine data is still unsure on whether the ability to spread the virus, even without contracting the illness, is possible after being vaccinated. This means it is imperative that we continue to wear masks, social distance, and engage in proper hand washing as always. It is also important to remember that the vaccine is not a “quick fix” to the last year of difficulties and disheartening illness and death.

According to Dr. Brewer, because of high demand “we will see no noticeable change for the near future just because there isn’t enough vaccine to have any meaningful impact immediately.” Places like California have been seeing a shortage of vaccines for their frontline healthcare workers and high-risk adults. In total there are about 2.4 million Californians who are in the high priority category but there is a deficit of one sixth the number of doses needed.

Dr. Sam Culver, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic, also reiterated this — stating it is unpredictable to know how things will play out and it is likely we won’t see changes until the second quarter of 2021. Culver also wanted to highlight the stress that the healthcare system is under right now due to the virus, how that affects the current state and the domino effect that ensues months later based on the actions we take now, such as the surge that will happen due to the holiday season which will create cases that will supersede the amount of vaccinations in supply.

Dr. Brewer mentions that each state should impose their own vaccination distribution plan to best decide how and where to allocate the supply — especially when considering the -80℃ storage temperature necessary to contain the vaccine, which may not be available everywhere. Education is also important to ensure that those receiving the vaccine understand when, where and how to receive their second dose, therefore strict regulation is necessary; accessibility through larger pharmaceutical chains, such as Walgreens and CVS, is also a topic of interest.

The future of the longevity of the vaccine seems to be very similar to what we see with the flu vaccine. There may be a need for repeated vaccinations, similar to annual flu shots. Due to its slightly slower mutation rate, a new vaccine may not need to be developed.

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