We began with President Biden, whose COVID infection, while mild, is concerning because of his vulnerability to serious complications because of his age and frailty, including possible dementia or a variant of Parkinson's disease. These factors increase susceptibility to COVID complications. One troubling aspect of the current situation was the president's decision not to wear a mask despite being infected, putting his staff, Secret Service agents, Air Force One crew, and others at risk. Such irresponsible behavior highlighted the need for leadership by example.
This is not his first encounter with the virus; such reinfection is not surprising, given that his vaccine protection may have diminished over time. New vaccines that are in development and expected to be available by October or November should effectively combat currently dominant variants.
Research is also underway by a number of groups to create a "universal" vaccine that would protect against future variants, but this is challenging because COVID mutates rapidly. For example, a Caltech vaccine targeting multiple spike proteins (which the virus uses to attach to host cells) is still in very early clinical trials. Researchers are also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to predict the composition of a protein that would be the basis of a universal vaccine.
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Henry I. Miller, MS, MD
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.
