Canadian Politics Today

Operation Warp Speed provided for funding, and provided financial guarantees for companies that spent a lot of money on research and development of the vaccines.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  The approval of these vaccines were independent of Operation Warp Speed, and was conducted by the FDA/CDC.

Protocols for the demonstration of safety and efficacy are being aligned, which will allow the trials to proceed more quickly, and the protocols for the trials will be overseen by the federal government, as opposed to traditional public-private partnerships, in which pharmaceutical companies decide on their own protocols. Rather than eliminating steps from traditional development timelines, steps will proceed simultaneously, such as starting manufacturing of the vaccine at industrial scale well before the demonstration of vaccine efficacy and safety as happens normally.

To meet OWS timelines, some vaccine companies relied on data from other vaccines using the same platforms, where available, or conducted certain animal studies at the same time as clinical trials. However, as is done in a non-pandemic environment, all vaccine companies gathered initial safety and antibody response data with a small number of participants before proceeding into large-scale human studies (e.g., phase 3 clinical trials). The two EUAs issued in December 2020 were based on analyses of clinical trial participants and showed about 95 percent efficacy for each vaccine. These analyses included assessments of efficacy after individuals were given two doses of vaccine and after they were monitored for about 2 months for adverse events.

I predict great things for that child.  However, if she grows up to be an alcoholic lesbian, don't blame it on me.


Lindsey and I are getting a puppy!  We're picking her up in about 2 weeks.


 -k

She's a mix. Part bichon frise, part spaniel, and part toy poodle.  Both of her parents are 50% bichon frise.  We're hoping for a calm-natured, non-allergenic, small-sized, and less-energetic pet that will be well-suited to our small apartments.

I guess in a sense this is our "we probably aren't going to have children" project, so if we start dressing her up in cute clothes and Halloween costumes and having birthday parties and play dates and stuff that might be the sign that it's a "lesbian dog".

But we aren't going to get her a flat-top haircut or a flannel shirt or feed her generic wheat squares, if that's what you're asking.

 -k

Please don't. I can't imagine how embarrassed it would be down at the dog park.