This is the key point that many seem to miss. The vaccine was remarkably effective against the strains that were used to develop it, and that efficacy had dropped with each subsequent variant. It's not that the vaccine didn't work, it's that the virus changed. Lord knows how many lives were saved, as comparing data from the first wave to subsequent waves is really different.
One question going forward will be whether the new variants are more resistant to vaccines or whether they just need to develop annual vaccines to be distributed in the fall, like the flu shot. (For those with the tinfoil hats on, this won't be mandatory, just as the flu shot isn't mandatory.)
To be honest, I'm surprised that they haven't released a 'latest and greatest' vaccine, which suggests they're either struggling to make it effective against the more contagious new variants, or they're waiting for a more deadly variant to show up when vaccination becomes more critical to save lives.
I've jumped back into this thread, as I just tested positive this morning for the first time that I know of. Pretty mild so far, symptoms started on Saturday. Fingers crossed it stays that way. For the record, I'm triple shotted with the AZ/Pfizer/Moderna complete set. Caught it at a work dinner, I think, though my out-and-aboutness had skyrocketed lately: Jays game, Clifton Hill in the Falls, two long lines at Service Ontario, multiple lunches and dinners out, plus others. I expect I'm not the only one, as the weather and case numbers have led to a lot of middle-ground folks like myself (not overly cautious but with some caution) giving up things like wearing masks and avoiding crowds...
