Recent good news regarding COVID-19 vaccines comes with a catch. In late June, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reminded the world that no vaccine is perfect and he would “settle” for a COVID-19 vaccine that is 70% to 75% effective. Furthermore, he cautioned that this incomplete protection, when coupled with the looming possibility that half of the public may choose not to receive this vaccine, would make it “unlikely” that the United States achieves sufficient levels of herd immunity to quell the pandemic.

Dr. Fauci’s commentary reflects an increasingly acknowledged point about efforts to combat COVID-19: Although developing vaccines is crucial, vaccines alone may never end the pandemic. Given this risk, it behooves the U.S. (and other nations) to invest immediately in additional complementary therapeutic strategies to end the medical crisis and stabilize the global economy.