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Comment by lillecarl | Hacker News Reader

The point is vaccinating everyone, just like we did with Smallpox. Which is essentially dead because of vaccination.

While I encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated, you're not making a valid comparison. We were able to effectively eradicate smallpox (except for a few lab samples) because the vaccines are highly sterilizing and there were no animal reservoirs.

That situation doesn't obtain with SARS-CoV-2. The vaccines are pretty good at preventing deaths but don't reliably prevent infection or transmission. And most mammal species can transmit the virus; cases have been confirmed in dogs, cats, minks, deer, tigers, etc.

> there were no animal reservoirs

This is a fact vaccine-zealots never address (I am double vaccinated by the way).

If the end game is 100% vaccination in human population (including the enormous unvaccinated reservoir of the developing world, since the rate in those countries is often single-digit percentages) we will _still_ get novel variants which bypass the latest vaccines. Are we really supposed to forcibly administer vaccines every n-months to the entire human population for the rest of eternity? It seems utterly absurd.

I don't see why the "just build more hospitals" commenter was down-voted/flagged in this thread. It at least seems more economically viable. Mobilize the national guard to do it if it comes to that. Treating those who develop covid seems a way better route than attempting the futile game of "prevention" via a vaccine regime.

We will never get to Covid eradication. It's just not possible. Yet, most of my vaccinated compatriots seem to buy into that delusion.

The rates of animal transmission are very low. If we eliminate it in humans, it's unlikely that the virus could sustain itself in animal populations and unlikely to reinfect the already-vaccinated humans.

Judging by the fact that the whole pandemic was ostensibly started by an animal->human transmission, I'm highly skeptical of your claim.

We were setting field hospitals last year left and right in anticipation, most, luckily went unused. I don’t understand why can’t this be repeated, heck implement a protocol for quick deployment of few but massive such facilities and let economy of scale take over.

> (I am double vaccinated by the way).

It's sad that "I'm vaccinated..." became the 2021 version of, "I'm not a racist...".

The end game should be outfitting enclosed spaces with poor circulation of air with proper and adequate ventilation and filtering. Just as we look back at the unsanitary practices of the past (dirty water, not washing hands), we need to realize the unsanitary practices of today.

Smallpox vaccines were not "highly sterilizing."

https://twitter.com/santiagokique/status/1465014078938628099

Are there any vaccines that are actually 100% sterilizing?

> The point is vaccinating everyone, just like we did with Smallpox. Which is essentially dead because of vaccination.

It has been shown time and again that the covid jag does not prevent infection/re-infection/transmission so your talk of eradication smacks of propaganda, not science.

Other countries with Zero COVID policies have been successful at suppressing the virus to extremely low levels. Their citizens laugh at us on social media.

At extremely low levels, we can begin to contemplate elimination/eradication.

And time and again the smallpox vaccine also failed to protect.

> Historically, the vaccine has been effective in preventing smallpox infection in 95% of those vaccinated. — https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/vaccine-basics/index.html

(Other sources have numbers from about 90% to 97%). However, this imperfect protection, in enough people, was enough to do the job.

This is an entirely different situation then smallpox though. The modes of action are not the same.

Also, the CFR of smallpox is 95%.

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