Health

The vaccine presentation was a success. But events inside and outside Biden’s control have slowed progress.


Eleven months ago, President Joe Biden took office during one of the most critical moments of the covid-19 pandemic. The number of cases and the death rate are staggeringly high. The vaccine rollout, which began under former President Donald Trump, is sporadic. People often live in isolation in their homes, and children are fired into distance learning.

Biden promises to change all of that. He said he would differ from Trump in that he would listen to scientists, encourage the use of masks and give the federal government a stronger role in tackling the pandemic. I also committed to provide “the most effective mass vaccination scheme in American history” and to have 100 million vaccinations done in his first 100 days.

How well did Biden do? We asked four public health experts who said the president’s vaccine rollout has been excellent overall, but his message has been misleading on certain points and Other failures – both within and beyond his control – have impeded progress over covid-19.

After all, cases in the US are on the rise again, largely due to delta and omicron variations. In some places, these numbers, as well as hospitalization rates, are hitting multi-month highs. This month, the United States passed 800,000 won The covid-related deaths since the pandemic began and the 1 million mark is on view. The reopening Broadway The shows – which are seen by many as a sign that normalcy has returned – are facing disruption because of disruptive circumstances among actors causing ongoing cancellations of performances. . The sports world is facing covid-related disorder. Colleges Yes announced they would Hold final examination from far away and is canceling winter graduation.

All of this begs the question of how much progress has been made compared to covid. Let’s take a look back at what happened in 2021 and whether Biden’s efforts made a difference.

Even before taking office, Biden had an initial goal of getting 100 million doses of the vaccine in his first 100 days. Despite initial uncertainty about this goal, it became an easily achievable goal in just 58 days.

However, the distribution of the vaccine still takes place according to the matches and starts. At first, only certain populations were eligible for the injection. And when Biden announced that he was ordering states to expand eligibility for all adults on May 1, the demand for the vaccine in many locations exceeded demand. However, in the summer, most people who want a vaccine can get it for free.

That push was “extraordinary,” says Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “The Biden administration increased the number of people who came to be photographed, they increased the number of locations to shoot, reduced the amount of disparity between people being photographed,” he said.

Indeed, fully immunizing nearly half of the US population in the first six months of 2021 has dramatically reduced covid cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in early summer. Recent data from Commonwealth Fund indicates that the covid vaccination program in the US has prevented 1 million deaths and 10 million hospitalizations.

However, those two signs of optimism – high vaccine numbers and low infections – led the Biden administration to soon claim victory over the virus, he said. Dr. Leana Wen, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University. Experts say this is just one of a number of missteps in the messaging of Biden and his administration in 2021.

“They declared victory as soon as the plains started to rise,” Wen said.

Wen pointed to a “confused” message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which began with a Announcement in May that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks indoors or outdoors, or practice physical distancing, even though those strategies have proven helpful in fighting the virus.

The change in mask guidelines comes at a pivotal time. Dangerous delta variants are beginning to exist across the US, and public health officials are only beginning to understand that vaccinated people can still spread the virus. Due to a spike in delta cases in midsummer, the CDC had to re-implement its guidance to recommend that vaccinated individuals continue to wear face masks indoors if they live in an area where transmission is likely. high or significant. This is still introduction. However, that initial announcement opened the door for many states and localities to waive their mask requirements and never reinstate them, despite continued high levels of transmission. nationwide.

“The May disclosure order was made too hastily,” said Benjamin. “It was a wrong step.”

Also, Biden’s announcement in mid-August that all Americans will have booster shots by September 20 ahead of Food and Drug Administration recommendations and CDC guidance on boosters for everyone – a stumbling block is different. The FDA didn’t approve the boosters for all adults until November.

“I think people saw that when he made a political statement,” Benjamin said. “He knew that was where we were going, where science was taking us. He was ahead of it.”

Overall, though, Biden has followed the science, experts say. Additionally, conducting regular lively media briefings with scientists and public health leaders, and allowing Dr. Anthony Fauci, his chief medical advisor, centered and not at odds with his advice, representing a significant change from the previous administration, when daily briefing are held, but speakers often dismiss the scientific evidence supporting unproven treatments and the president himself would dismiss the severity of the pandemic.

Biden also used the power of his office to promote a number of public health measures. He issued vaccine regulations for federal employees and contractors, health care workers, and certain companies. This has increased the number of people being vaccinated, although duties, with the exception of orders targeting government employees, are on hold while objections are still made through the court system.

And, despite the state’s revocation of the mask mandate, the president continues to require masks in areas he controls, including in the interstate transportation and air travel industries as well. like in federal buildings. He also signed a $1.9 trillion relief bill in March, providing financial assistance to people in the form of stimulus checks, child tax credits and supplemental unemployment benefits. additions, as well as aid to states and local governments.

However, one area where government efforts are seriously lacking is covid testing, said every public health expert we consulted.

“We need more rapid home tests. There should be no shortage,” Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territory Health Officials, which represents state and local public health agencies.

The Biden administration invoked Defense Production Act to ramp up production of rapid tests and provide free tests to public health clinics, and to require private insurers to refund consumers for tests they purchase.

It can do more, said Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at KFF.

“They haven’t taken the next step yet and bought the tests and sent it to every household, to really test the country with the tests,” says Kates. That will be especially important if the US does indeed experience a winter spike in deltas and omicrons as predicted.

Variants, particularly in the lowlands, have caused more severe illness symptoms than other forms of the covid virus, exacerbating the challenge facing the pandemic this year. However, the data suggest that the mortality associated with the organism much higher among the unvaccinated than among the vaccinated. Kates said the number of people reluctant to get vaccinated because of hesitation or misinformation about vaccines that may have contributed to the high number of deaths in 2021, has surpassed 2020.

In addition, the covid vaccine is not widely available to everyone in the US until May. In addition, in 2020, much of the US is closed while many operations have resumed into 2021, with an increasing chance of spreading the virus.

However, under Biden, according to the latest figures, more than 61% of the US population – and 72% of adults – are fully vaccinated against covid.

“I think we really should celebrate 70% more,” says Plescia. “For adult vaccinations, we never get close to that number with other vaccines, such as influenza.”

However, as the whole country stares at the omicron, the country faces a growing number of cases amid continued uncertainty about when the pandemic will end.

Experts agree that the United States has made positive strides in its fight against covid this year, but much work remains to be done. Testing, continuing to encourage immunization and vaccination in the United States, and delivering shots to the world – to help prevent future variants – are the only ways to, they said. reached the point where covid became endemic.

“We are in another place. Last year we needed a vaccine. Now we need to get to the point where testing is the norm,” said Wen. “This is how we will live with covid in our lives going forward and how we as America will be able to move forward.”





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