Phrase of the day: "Vaccine Escape"

Vaccine Escape occurs when a pathogen mutates so that it is no longer affected by a vaccine.

If we mess around and take too long with the vaccination, we could see a vaccine-escape strain of #COVID19 emerge.

The best way to minimize the chance of vaccine escape is to stockpile the vaccine and administer it to everyone in a short burst, preferably during a strict lockdown.

Vaccinating old and vulnerable people first is especially risky as they constitute a fertile breeding ground for a vaccine-escape covid-19 strain.

It's also a good idea to use lockdowns to bring the infection down to almost 0, then apply the vaccine to "seal the deal".

Avoiding vaccine escape must be prioritized over saving the lives of the old/obese/vulnerable.

If we end up in a vaccine escape scenario, the impact on confidence, markets and civil order would be dramatic.

The vaccine escape scenario is so bad that we should do absolutely everything in our power to avoid it.

However, as vaccines are deployed globally, it may be more luck than skill that determines whether vaccine escape happens.

Cutting off international travel will help.