Americans Are Losing Sight of the Pandemic Endgame

Doctors and scientists need to have an honest conversation with the American people about what the goals of COVID-19 vaccination are and how the pandemic will end.

Even without the rise of the Delta variant, no one should be surprised to see some people develop infections a few months after vaccination. Though there may be value in eventually giving an additional dose or two to strengthen protection against disease, we’re unlikely to prevent all infections with booster shots. But the key message is that if you’re vaccinated, you’re well protected against life-threatening disease.

If we can’t prevent all infections, what’s the endgame? A July COVID-19 outbreak in , offered a preview of what America’s post-pandemic future might look like. were fully vaccinated, and most had symptoms of a bad head cold. Lost in most media coverage was that only 1 percent of fully vaccinated people who became infected were hospitalized. No fully vaccinated person died from COVID-19. This should have been cause for celebration. In a scenario in which some people might still become infected but very few get seriously ill, are hospitalized, or die, we can move from a public-health emergency to a more normal life.