WASHINGTON, DC, Apr 30 — It’s been a year and change since the COVID pandemic distorted the way we live and, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, if the end is not in sight, perhaps the beginning of the end is approaching, says Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. “At last, there are reasons for cautious optimism.”
“Vaccinations have begun to make progress in containing the disease, thanks to the efforts of former President Trump who convinced pharmaceutical companies to make haste in developing a serum. Booster shots will be coming soon as are new, easier ways of delivering protective doses.”
Deborah Fuller, PhD, an expert in the field of vaccines and antivirals, says that we can look forward to “an amazing toolbox to use to combat infectious disease for a long time to come.” For example, Fuller, a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says that progress is being made in the development of non-injectable vaccines that, for example, might be delivered through the nose or swallowed in pill form.
Meanwhile, the vaccines currently available are doing their job. Natalie Dean, an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida, says they “have really exceeded expectations in so many ways, and it’s just an enormous value that they can keep you from getting sick but also keep you from transmitting to others. Nothing is 100 percent, but I think people can understand the big reduction and the value of that. It changes how I think about what I want to do in a big way.”
The latest positive development in the race to conquer the COVID virus was reported just days ago when Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla announced that a pill that treats symptoms of the disease could be available to the public by the end of the year. It means that you wouldn’t have to go to a hospital for treatment, unlike current injectable medications. As he put it, “you could get it at home, and that could be a game-changer.”
And, Oravax Medical, a medical technology developer, is poised to begin clinical trials for an oral COVID vaccine sometime as early as this summer.
AMAC’s Weber says “The happy side-effect of all this medical progress, particularly for seniors, is that we can see a light at the end of the tunnel as problematic protective restrictions begin to ease. The majority of states across the country have fully reopened or have reopened to some degree since vaccinations became available. And, a goodly number of states are eliminating the need to wear masks out of doors,” according to AMAC’s Weber.
In fact, earlier this week the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] issued new guidelines easing up on the need for masks for fully vaccinated individuals in outdoor spaces although the CDC recommends wearing masks in outdoor spaces that are densely populated. These venues include, for example, sporting events, concerts and parades.
In addition, the CDC has issued new travel regulations. In a nutshell, interstate travel for those who are fully vaccinated no longer require testing before and after a trip unless the authorities at your destination require it. Nor will vaccinated travelers in the U.S. need to self-quarantine upon their return.
As for international travel, if you are fully vaccinated you will no longer need to be tested before your trip unless authorities at your destination require it. And, you will not have to self-quarantine when you come home, although you are urged to have a test before returning.
You are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks’ after receiving your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Wow,A conservative group buying I to that junk science hook, line and sinker.
Are you kidding? These experimental gene therapies are hurting more people than helping them, and we don’t yet know long-term effects which are looking pretty grim right now. Don’t celebrate failure!
Oh wow! A medicine to treat Covid symptoms might be available by the end of the year, you say? Can the CDC spell I-v-e-r-m-e-c-t-i-n??? I’ll be waiting until 2024 to see whether the Covid vaccine is something to celebrate or to mourn.
I quit subscribing to AARP because of these pro liberal stories. Covid vaccines are dangerous and have many side effects I cannot believe you are promoting this. Makes me want to cancel my subscription.
“It is a great vaccine. It is a safe vaccine, and it is something that works.” – Donald J Trump
What a disappointment that Mister Trump has sided with the DUMMOCRATS
When virologists, geneticists, and micro-biologists from around the world are insisting that this vaccine, (which is not a vaccine), will be harmful or fatal to millions….then they have ny attention. These same medical experts have been banned or censored off Facebook, Twitter. Yahoo
When experts and physicians who are sounding the alarm are shut down, fired , and censored by 99% of the media we have a serious problem. After 35 years as a RN and retired healthcare executive I have learned you don’t ever trust the AMA, CDC, or big pharmaceutical companies. The same thing applies to successful drug treatments that are soundly put down by non medical professionals and censors in the media. The number of serious sides effects are being greatly downplayed. I also know hospitals are being pressured by the government to label many deaths as COVID that we from other causes. Wake up folks something is very wrong about this vaccine push. I won’t be taking it for sure. One last thing these mask will not protect against viruses. They do an adequate job on bacteria but do nothing to protect against viruses. It’s all about control and politics.
Could you attach links for us seniors to send emails to our state legislators (& local/county) so we can say NO or YES to bills/proposals brought before the house? I know you have done this. It’s very efficient & effective when millions of Americans can “voice” what they want immediately when a bill/proposal is being sought to pass. Thank you.
The “magic shot” may be having an effect although we won’t know the true effect for several years. People however are starting to wake up to the truth. Most people with a brain are getting tired of this whole debacle. When tragedy happens in any other area of life, we don’t shut down the whole world, we deal with it and move on. So many of our “leaders” won’t allow us to move on. But, 2022 is coming! Keep the faith and vote for FREEDOM!