New Covid vaccines are coming to the U.S. this fall, but uptake may be low — Here’s why

Not over

COVID as a pandemic or public health emergency *is* over.

It is now another flu.

I haven't taken a flue shot since I retired - have not gotten the flu. Every year in the Army I took the shot and got sick within a week. When I got the mist I got sick within 2 days, but it was milder.

When I got the 2nd shot of COVID, I got COVID 3 weeks later. I got it from a family gathering where every single person was vaxxed and up to date. Haven't taken a single booster and haven't got COVID since. My wife with a booster got COVID a second time - about a month after her booster. But despite sharing a bed with her, I did not (not only was I asymptomatic I took 3 tests over 10 days, and they were all negative).

Since that time, neither of us have had any boosters. My wife had a VERY public facing job - retail sales manager - where she spent most of her time on a sales floor directly interfacing with guests. I have a public facing job which has me in a different client's home interacting with the entire family three days a week, and in a community care facility 1-2 times a week. No booster and I stopped wearing a mask as soon as I was legally allowed to. No COVID. None for my wife after she stopped taking boosters.

Yes, my experience is anecdotal. But masks made no difference, and the shots seemed to CAUSE COVID, not prevent it.

No, we are not taking boosters.

And if all COVID rules are gone, all of the "work from home" or "telconference" rules are gone, masks are no linger a thing.... then yes, COVID is over. Where I am at, it has been over for a LONG time. We have been operating on post-COVID rules for about a year and a half. And neither COVID rates nor sick days have gone up.

From what *I* can see, COVID is real, but the threat level was greatly exaggerated and the pandemic was made up for one thing, and one thing only: control.