Have you made 2021 travel plans? Do you think they'll happen?

[Fishindude77]

I've got an Alaska fishing trip booked for July. Hoping we can to do that trip without too much difficulty.

[amarowsky]

I think the distribution is getting better quickly now but it's still a monumental task. Even if Pres. Biden is successful in getting 100 million doses delivered in 100 days, that means by the end of April, we'd still only have less than 1/3 of the country vaccinated. We need 75-80% for herd immunity. And that can't really happen until there is an approved pediatric vaccine since 25% of the population is kids.

Side bar, so in a very short answer.... Do you think our De-centralized For-Profit insurance & billing networks, Helped/Impeded/Neutral on the effectiveness of USA's vaccine distribution? (Only asking you, as a medical professional whom i trust - others feel free to chime in if you are in the industry).

[amarowsky]

I've got an Alaska fishing trip booked for July. Hoping we can to do that trip without too much difficulty.

what're you targeting fishing there Mr. Fishindude?! (would love to hear from a more experienced angler)
*Note - Gotta pull your fish out of there before the Pebble mine ruins all the Alaskan's salmon habitat!

Alaska is high on my list.... I'd love to scout wildlife up there. It's one of my "end-game" hunting locations. Should I continue down the path of hunter/conservationist - which I recently became enamored with.

[bjl584]

So, possibly heading to Florida in February.
Still up in the air though

[disneysteve]

So, possibly heading to Florida in February.
Still up in the air though

Our March trip got cancelled (event postponed) which I was happy about as I did not want to go. I don't think it's safe to do yet. We're now scheduled for September. I'm hoping things will have settled down by then.

[Snydley]

I think the distribution is getting better quickly now but it's still a monumental task. Even if Pres. Biden is successful in getting 100 million doses delivered in 100 days, that means by the end of April, we'd still only have less than 1/3 of the country vaccinated. We need 75-80% for herd immunity and that can't really happen until there is an approved pediatric vaccine since 25% of the population is kids.

9
Two other factors that may get us to herd immunity faster than we think: (1) pre-existing immunity (from common cold coronavirus infections), (2) many people have had SARS-CoV-2 infection and were never tested, they have some protective immunity. Numbers could be as high as 20% of the US (I read one statistician says maybe 30% of Floridians!).

[disneysteve]

9
Two other factors that may get us to herd immunity faster than we think: (1) pre-existing immunity (from common cold coronavirus infections), (2) many people have had SARS-CoV-2 infection and were never tested, they have some protective immunity. Numbers could be as high as 20% of the US (I read one statistician says maybe 30% of Floridians!).

For those who have had COVID, immunity is currently thought to last up to 3 months, so that’s only temporary. I don’t know what the data is for people who have had other coronavirus illnesses.

People who had COVID should still get the vaccine.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

But moderna announced they are working on a booster for the new variants. Are the new variants less protected by what percent do we know from the vaccines?

[kork13]

But moderna announced they are working on a booster for the new variants. Are the new variants less protected by what percent do we know from the vaccines?

The military is starting to push out the vaccine to us, and the docs are pretty open with the ongoing research. They're telling us that research is finding the COVID virus to be relatively stable genetically. Yes, it is mutating into a few slightly different variants, but the mutations are very minor (a fractional percentage of its genetic material), and the existing vaccines are still highly effective at triggering the immune system to combat any of the variations. This fact also leads them to theorize that in future years, they won't have to "guess" at which strain will be prevalent (as is done with the flu), and the existing vaccines are likely to remain effective for years with only minor adjustments over time. This means that the high efficacy rate is likely to continue without the need for constant changes to the vaccines.

[disneysteve]

The military is starting to push out the vaccine to us, and the docs are pretty open with the ongoing research. They're telling us that research is finding the COVID virus to be relatively stable genetically. Yes, it is mutating into a few slightly different variants, but the mutations are very minor (a fractional percentage of its genetic material), and the existing vaccines are still highly effective at triggering the immune system to combat any of the variations. This fact also leads them to theorize that in future years, they won't have to "guess" at which strain will be prevalent (as is done with the flu), and the existing vaccines are likely to remain effective for years with only minor adjustments over time. This means that the high efficacy rate is likely to continue without the need for constant changes to the vaccines.

This has a lot to do with how the vaccines are being made: mRNA vs traditional vaccines which are inactivated virus. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines don't actually inject you with a killed form of the virus itself like most other vaccines. Instead, they use a strand of genetic material that targets the viruses structure. Even when the virus mutates, that mRNA still works the same way because its target hasn't changed.

The one thing we don't know yet is how long immunity from the vaccine will last. Will we need a booster every year? Time will tell.

[Snydley]

For those who have had COVID, immunity is currently thought to last up to 3 months, so that’s only temporary. I don’t know what the data is for people who have had other coronavirus illnesses.

People who had COVID should still get the vaccine.

I think natural immunity to COVID will likely be longer than 3 months but that data is still not clear. Data suggests the current vaccines will provide far better and longer lasting protection than recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection so I agree that everyone should be vaccinated, even those who had COVID.

[Fishindude77]

what're you targeting fishing there Mr. Fishindude?! (would love to hear from a more experienced angler)
*Note - Gotta pull your fish out of there before the Pebble mine ruins all the Alaskan's salmon habitat!

Alaska is high on my list.... I'd love to scout wildlife up there. It's one of my "end-game" hunting locations. Should I continue down the path of hunter/conservationist - which I recently became enamored with.

I've been to Alaska a bunch hunting, but never fishing so it's going to be a new experience to me.
Flying out of Anchorage approx. 250 miles west via float plane to a remote lodge where we will be staying. We will do daily fly out excursions via super cub airplane to various rivers or lakes where a guide will be set up to take care of us and help each day. Species possibilities include; several type of salmon, lake trout, pike, grayling and sheefish. Will do some wading and some by boat, mostly spinning gear as I'm not much of a fly fisherman.
They feed you a shore lunch while out at the site, then pick you up in the afternoon and fly back to the lodge for cocktails, a hot shower and a big dinner. It's a pretty first class deal I've been wanting to do for a while, taking my son in law.

If you get the chance, get up there too hunt while you're still in good shape and before it gets any more expensive. I've hunted; caribou, moose, dall sheep, black bear, wolf and brown bear in AK and don't regret any of it. In recent years I've done most my hunting for deer and elk to stay within driving range, which makes it feasible to get all of that delicious meat home.

[Thrif-t]

Well I just booked a condo for Myrtle Beach in July. I wasn't going to do it if I couldn't find 100% back for cancellation. Found one on VRBO that offers 100% back, 60 days out, so figure by May we'll have a better idea if it's a trip we want to take given whatever may be going on at that time. I gotta admit, it is nice to have something to look forward to finally.

[amarowsky]

I've been to Alaska a bunch hunting, but never fishing so it's going to be a new experience to me.
Flying out of Anchorage approx. 250 miles west via float plane to a remote lodge where we will be staying. We will do daily fly out excursions via super cub airplane to various rivers or lakes where a guide will be set up to take care of us and help each day. Species possibilities include; several type of salmon, lake trout, pike, grayling and sheefish. Will do some wading and some by boat, mostly spinning gear as I'm not much of a fly fisherman.
They feed you a shore lunch while out at the site, then pick you up in the afternoon and fly back to the lodge for cocktails, a hot shower and a big dinner. It's a pretty first class deal I've been wanting to do for a while, taking my son in law.

If you get the chance, get up there too hunt while you're still in good shape and before it gets any more expensive. I've hunted; caribou, moose, dall sheep, black bear, wolf and brown bear in AK and don't regret any of it. In recent years I've done most my hunting for deer and elk to stay within driving range, which makes it feasible to get all of that delicious meat home.

Sounds like a freggin blast man! I hope you and the S.I.L. enjoy every minute of it!

*In regards to getting in shape to go hunting. I'm proud to say I'm down to 206lbs today (6'2 as well, for perspective) ! (My normal weight over the past 9 years has been like 240 ish, w. a 2018 high point of 270 for a brief moment...) . So I'm in the best shape of my life @ 34. I'm want to go out shed hunting a few times to get more experience in the bush. My 1st hunting this year was on Drummond Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. So I'll need a lot more experience before I would feel ready to jump into Alaska hunting. But even just a wildlife appreciation/hiking trip to alaska would be high on my "want" list! \

Can't stress enough how profound of an impact it has been since I waded further into the waters of a hunter/Conservationist. IMO the most effective way to participate and appreciate the nature around us. Arguably the shiniest gem I've discovered since the COVID slowdown.... (I used to backpack and stuff occasionally, but now it's multiple times a week I'm doing a 1 hour stroll or hike in the woods). Guns have been intimidating for me to get comfortable with.... I have next to zero experience, but have a lot of good friends & my father in law now, to guide me while I learn to respect those tools and use them safely.

[scfr]

Planning a trip for the summer of 2022 that I'm pretty confident will happen.
I've already opened a new CC and easily earned the bonus points to cover the 3 or 4 nights hotel stay.
(Edit to add that I don't have a need for a super high credit score so opening & closing CCs for the bonuses is OK for me.)