Vaccine distribution in the United States // Photo: Reuters
According to him, the various mutations of the virus do not leave much choice, or time, to reorganize, so already now the strategy should be fundamentally changed and given as many older people as possible vaccine doses and perhaps even younger ones, without keeping aside reserves for second doses.
Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said he was concerned about the continued shuffling of vaccines and the logistical difficulties posed by drug companies and various U.S. states. Expected to significantly burden the health care system, it will soon become the dominant variant of the virus in the US.
It should be noted that despite the continued mortality of some 3,000 people daily in the US and Australholm’s gloomy forecast of increased morbidity due to the spread of the mutations, it appears that cases of infection in the US have stabilized in recent weeks, partly in light of continued vaccination. Since the beginning of January, the rate of new diagnoses has been less than 200,000 cases per day in the United States, but it seems that the full effect of the mutations is not yet felt.

According to Ostholm, although “we should still strive to give everyone two servings, but at the moment, in light of the expectation of a surge of new cases, we should inject as many first courses as possible for those aged 65 and over, to reduce morbidity and mortality seen in the coming weeks.”
In recent days, the South African mutation has also been identified in the US, showing greater signs of resistance to some vaccines, although drug companies believe they can adapt the doses, and perhaps even create a third dose, to overcome this partial resistance.