When COVID first came forth from China it came with sequencing also from China. It was like a time bomb with the instructions on how to defuse it. Well it kind of worked. Under the previous Administration an exceptionally effective effort led to an mRNA vaccine which dealt with the original virus.
But, as is well known, the single stranded RNA viruses mutate like crazy especially in immune compromised populations, like third world areas. One such as been South Africa and its massive HIV population as well as large migrant populations allowing for massive infections.
Now we are facing subvariants. Subvariants are derivative of a variant, especially a variant of concern, VOC. The WHO has developed the most arcane set of definitions but let us call the most recent BA.5. It is spreading like wild fire. It is a subvariant of Omicron, B.1.1.529. Not to worry, the WHO has created a naming nightmare.
However the subvariants can be targeted by a vaccine built around Omicron. Or even BA.5 itself. It would just take a few hours to create the spike mRNA and put it in the original vaccine! Easy.
Now The Hill notes:
The BA.5 subvariant of omicron that now makes up the majority of U.S. COVID-19 cases is sparking concern because it has a greater ability to evade the protection of current vaccines than past strains of the virus did. Pfizer and Moderna are working on updated vaccines that target BA.5 that could be ready this fall, but experts say that by the time they are ready, a new variant very well could have taken hold. As alternatives to vaccine makers chasing each variant, experts point to research on “pan-coronavirus” vaccines that are “variant-proof,” targeting multiple variants, as well as nasal vaccines that could drastically cut down on transmission of the virus. There is ongoing research on these next-generation vaccines, but unlike in 2020, when the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed helped speed the development of the original vaccine, there is less funding and assistance this time around. COVID-19 funding that could help develop and manufacture new vaccines more quickly has been stalled in Congress for months. “There’s no Operation Warp Speed,” said Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research. “So it’s moving very slowly. But at least it’s moving.”
Namely the current Administration seems in my opinion to be grossly incompetent placing millions of lives at risk. We know how to do this we just need leadership. That comes from the top and there we are apparently lacking any at all.
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