A vaccine is coming! But that doesn't change our current situation one whit.

It's not often I post something on Facebook first and then replicate it here, but after writing this I reckoned it couldn't hurt.

A vaccine is coming! And that is super exciting! But it's still probably 6 months away or more for most of us, so keep wearing your mask, washing your hands, and socially distancing, because I see everyone getting excited by the news as if we're at the end of this, and we aren't.

A few things to keep in mind:

• None of the vaccines have been submitted to the FDA yet, and even an expedited review doesn't mean they'll ignore data or results that are concerning
• I want the efficacy that's being touted to be true, but until we see the data all we have to go on are press releases, for the most part
• Even if the vaccines are approved in record time, you're not getting one until next summer at the earliest, probably. Best case scenario would be spring, but I'm not confident in that happening right now
• Everyone I've spoken to in the last week has said they expect to be one of the first to get the vaccine for this reason or that, so if you're in that cohort of thinking but not a first responder or medical professional, that isn't gonna happen
• I still haven't seen any concrete distribution plans or vast networks of the specialized freezers that will be required to transport and store some of the vaccine candidates. (There is this, but I take it with a huge grain of salt.) This was the one primary responsibility of the current administration under Operation Warp Speed, and I have zero confidence it's been addressed.* So we could all be waiting even longer for a vaccine if they need to figure out most of the actual on-the-ground logistics after Jan. 20

So stay safe and keep following guidelines to stay masked and apart from each other, and we will all get through this together! 

*Trump telling scientists to "work faster" does not count as assisting in the actual work of creating the vaccine.