NPHET has said that vaccines are unlikely to eliminate the virus, and that covid-19 will probably be with us for years to come.
“Eliminating the virus or reaching herd immunity from vaccination alone is unlikely to be possible,” the group said, referring to the long-term trajectory of covid-19 and “future pandemics.”
“It would require very high coverage in all adult age groups, not alone in Ireland but globally, and for the vaccine to be highly effective against transmission.”
NPHET says eliminating the virus or reaching herd immunity from vaccination alone is unlikely. And that the virus is likely to be in circulation for future years. pic.twitter.com/LqV43qRM4q
— Fergal Bowers (@FergalBowers) February 25, 2021
They went on to add that covid-19 variants made predicting the future even more uncertain.
“The impact of variants is also unknown. This means that the virus is likely to continue to be in circulation for future years.
“The severity of disease that it will cause and the requirements for ongoing vaccination will become known in time.”
They added that a return to normal life is still “some way off”, and that the government must address “long standing deficiencies” in the health service going forward.
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