Opportunities Lost: New strains of the virus and uneven responses to vaccines delayed the world’s return to normal.
IT WAS SUPPOSED to be a triumphant year, the year we defeated COVID-19. Revolutionary vaccines—developed at breakneck speed from genetic technology decades in the making—were rolling out, ushering in the largest global immunization campaign in history. Lockdowns, isolation, masking, and sparsely attended funerals would give way to open borders, family reunions, and rebounding economies. In 2021 life would return to normal.
What we didn’t know, though, was that the vaccination drive would falter. In the United States, millions spurned vaccines despite a deadly winter surge followed by another in the summer. Scientists making discoveries and adjusting recommendations aroused suspicion. Misinformation and snake oil spread as rapidly as the virus. Vaccines were denounced…
