I'm fairly proud of my newsletter today.

I'm utterly disgusted with vaccine politics in part because what is actually happening with the COVID vaccine is so INCREDIBLY FASCINATING!

https://polimath.substack.com/p/operation-warp-speed-and-vaccines

Normally, a vaccine would be developed in a lab and tested with non-human subjects.

Then it would go through phase 1 (dosage testing), phase 2 (safety screening), phase 3 (efficacy verification), and phase 4 (general availability)

Each phase is long

Operation Warp Speed is probably the best thing that has ever happened under the Trump administration.

They are running multiple phases in parallel and absolutely burning money trying to get this vaccine out.

Add to this the fact that we got a little lucky.

Did you know the first vaccine entered Phase 1 on March 16?!? I did not know that and it seems crazy to me.

There are currently 4 vaccines in Phase 3 (I think... my info may be a few weeks old)

Phase 3 trials for COVID vaccines are recruiting 30,000 volunteers, which is a HUGE number. Usually vaccines only run Phase 3 trials with 3,000. A big one will run with 10,000.

We're running multiple Phase 3 trials with 30,000 people. It is off the rails.

What does this mean?

For me, it means signing up as a volunteer for the COVID-19 Prevention Network so I can help them get the 30K people they need to test this vaccine.

If you're comfortable doing so, I encourage you to sign up too

https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/clinical-study-locations/index.html

If you sign up, know that the side effects aren't trivial. 50%-60% of subjects have fatigue, muscle aches, headaches.

If you are not comfortable with this, DON'T SIGN UP.

And don't judge anyone for their decision to volunteer or not volunteer. We are all doing out best here.

But also keep in mind that this vaccine will not move to phase 4 (general availability) for political reasons.

Trump might announce something before the vaccine is actually available because he is a crazy person who cannot shut up.

That is not the vaccine's fault.

Finally... I watched Society Dog Show, which is basically an 8 minute summary of Walt Disney's outlook on snobbery and class differences

Disney loved the merging of low art and high art and always had a place in his heart for the earnest yokel