The Gift We Won't Get for Christmas

One year ago today, as the first of the COVID-19 vaccines started going into arms of Americans, there was a new feel to the feelings of Christmas.

There was hope that the beginning of vaccinations against a disease that had killed hundreds of thousands of people in less than a year meant that by the time the next Christmas season came along, the pandemic would be gone.

Well, we’re now in that next Christmas season, and while things are much better than they were a year ago, they’re not yet back to normal and the gift we had wished for last year for this Christmas of being done with the pandemic has not yet arrived.

There are still people being hospitalized or dying of COVID, thought mostly all of them are unvaccinated. And vaccination rates in too many states are still too low. And we now have a statewide requirement to wear masks again in indoor public places.

But there is still good news about COVID here in the Christmas season of 2021.

The rate of vaccinations is up and more people are getting boosters. The new Omicron variant appears to not be as serious as Delta. And the trials with a new anti-viral COVID pill reduces hospitalizations and deaths among high-risk people by 90 percent.

As California’s Dr. Mark Ghaly said this week, we’re all tired of the pandemic. Indeed we are. But this Christmas will be a time of looking forward to the birth of a new year and new hope.

(Photo Getty Images)