Considering the Needs of the Vulnerable in the Next Stage of the Pandemic

After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is flagging support for many of the public health interventions designed to help control the virus. The Biden Administration has struggled to secure additional funding for COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests. Most states and municipalities have rolled back their mask mandates, as well as testing and case reporting initiatives.

How do we navigate this coming phase of the pandemic? Who bears the cost of decisions to remove mask mandates and vaccine requirements? What is the role of the individual and what is the responsibility of public health and medical leadership in the coming years? What are we accepting when we call this period “the new/next normal”?