Definition of 'fully vaccinated' could change, CDC chief says. What that means | Hacker News Reader

Definition of 'fully vaccinated' could change, CDC chief says. What that means

sfchronicle.com

Wasn't this known from day 1? COVID-19 vaccines were never going to give us sterilizing immunity. I still don't understand what's the long term plan in countries that are trying to reach 100% vaccination rate, but yeah, there's going to be boosters forever unless a new sterilizing vaccine is developed or countries decide to change their COVID policies at some point.

> Wasn't this known from day 1? COVID-19 vaccines were never going to give us sterilizing immunity.

Absolutely not. It's trivial to go back to earlier this year and find public health officials promising that the vaccines would stop transmission and infection. They may have even been somewhat right until Delta took over (perhaps precisely because it had an evolutionary advantage against mass vaccination?).

I mean the political messaging has been as you said.

But scientifically it was known from the beginning that the vaccines were non-sterilizing [1], so I think any scenario different to the current one of endless boosters was just a fantasy or a "noble lie" to promote vaccination at best.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210203-why-vaccinated-p...

Until we can get sterilizing vaccines, I see no viable alternative to periodic non-sterilizing boosters.

I think this was pretty obvious when the first vaccines came out and they weren’t sterilizing.

Then we have to worry about all the mutations, and if we have to keep getting new vaccines for the new variants, in much the same way as we do flu shots.

> While shifting policies can be confusing to the general public, [Siegel] said, he likened it to updates to computer software.

“No one should have to be stuck with old outdated technology, especially when it comes to their personal health, the health of their families, and the well-being of their communities,” he said. “So, yes, it is likely that boosters will be added to the standard regimen.”

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I still believe "100% vaccination" policies won't survive this winter's flu-season. But let's see if they can convince people that endless boosters will take us anywhere. I still have no idea what's the long-term plan.

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