Redfield says masks might have a better effect than a vaccine.

[AnxiousNoMore]

"I might even go so far as to say that this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against Covid than when I take a Covid vaccine, because the immunogenicity may be 70%.  And if I don't get an immune response, the vaccine is not going to protect me. This face mask will," Redfield told lawmakers during public testimony, adding that the American public has not yet embraced the use of masks to a level that could effectively control the outbreak.

[Saxchin]

Mask are effective but not completely if you look towards the scientific aspects the virus is smaller than any pores of any mask (including N95 mask) which means the virus can penetrate any mask and
secondly about the vaccine development process is still on and many countries including America, Russia and India have shown postive results
According to me the vaccine wilp be available in December end, most probably

[Paxiled]

It might be, but not for all of us.  Won't be enough doses yet.  The first batch will be limited to first responders and the most at risk while production is ramped up.  It also depends on which vaccine is the one chosen, as if it's one of the ones that requires extremely cold temperatures it will depend on where you live whether that capacity for storage exists.  It will be available for all of us eventually, but maybe not right away.  As for masks, the N95 pretty much is completely protective assuming it's a genuine N95 and fits well.  I say that because even if a very small amount of virus is getting through, these masks have been protecting doctors and nurses and they are the most exposed of all of us.  As long as supplies can be kept up, they are being protected, so the masks must be working.  Unfortunately, nobody has enough of them, and so they are being reused a lot, which isn't how they were made.  The Chinese versions, which is what most consumers who have one have bought, don't fit well and aren't as protective but still work pretty well.  Surgical masks also work very well, as the way the fibers are done providers additional protection to just covering one's face.  Most of us are using disposable masks or fabric masks, and they work less well, but if you socially distance and are careful, they do seem to be protecting people.  So not complete protection, but they do work.  I wouldn't put any money on the Russian or Chinese vaccine -- no phase 3 trials and no transparency.  They're just using them but have no idea if they actually work or not as far as anyone can tell.  

[Marcia83]

The masks work. Even those surgical masks that are disposable. I wear two masks around people and when I go in stores along with eye protective gear whether it’s goggles or face shield. I don’t believe the rhetoric that the virus is so small that it will go through n95 masks or surgical masks. That’s just rhetoric from people that don’t want to wear a mask and try to find an excuse not to wear one. Masks are effective and if everyone wears them like they are suppose to, the cases of the virus would be gone or very close to being gone. Their are some countries that don’t hardly have any cases after quarantining and strict mask enforcement.

[Marcia83]

I started wearing the masks since day one even without the CDC recommending it to the American people. That’s what they did in China and Korea and other countries to slow the spread and cases. So the masks are effective. The vaccine would be rushed, so many are hesitant to get the vaccine.

[AnxiousNoMore]

The way he worded it doesn't mean the vax won't do the job for the general population overall, just that for specific vaxxed individuals in the 30% that it doesn't work for (or whatever % it ends up working out to) group who end up exposed then a mask would have given some protection because the mask has a higher % of providing safety.  He is effectively stating if you just do one of the 2, the odds of not getting it are better if you mask than vax - of course a person terrified of Covid (but not scared of the vax) can do both.
His vax rollout timeline is next year. Stay tuned.                  
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/16/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-masks-health-experts/index.html

[AnxiousNoMore]

His vax rollout timeline for all of the public is next year. Some may get it late next quarter.

[Paxiled]

To add, Trump, of course, said Redfield must not have understood the question on either count, in case there are those on here who believe the President over the experts.  I saw an interview with the CEO of Pfizer, who hasn't taken any gov't money, and he sounded optimistic a vaccine will be shown to either work or not work safely by October, but we always have to be cautious when CEOs talk because when they say things like that it pumps up their stock temporarily, and they get paid mostly in stock.  So we'll see.  But that will only likely be available to medical professionals and extremely high risk people.  For everyone, the timetable is looking like next summer, but we'll again see, Trump says before the election again for those who prefer his take to medical experts.  I'm sure there are many of those on here.  I heard interviews with several epidemiologists today, and they all believed next summer is the earliest for general distribution.  They also said the vaccines being currently worked on will take two shots, and likely not be more effective than the flu vaccine, so they cautioned that we are likely to be wearing masks and distancing for a long time to come even after a vaccine comes out.  The best year the flu vaccine had was between 40 and 60% effective, and is usually not that good.  I'm not sure why covid would be like that, though, as it's a new virus to us and hasn't had the huge number of years the flu has had to mutate, so we can hope for better, or at least I hope so.  Peace.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Flu effectiveness from webmd  "On average, it’s been 40% effective, meaning it’s prevented illness 40% of the time. Since health officials started tracking it in 2003, effectiveness has varied from year to year, ranging from a low of 10% in 2004-05 to a high of 60% in 2010-11." If Covid vax is 60% (it's a different virus so who knows if it will be similar to flu efficacy?) that isn't enough to wipe it out if people don't mask or take care. One difference nowadays is lots of people are taking some precautions like sd and washing that they never used to though, plus lots are masking. Another difference between flu vax is there could be several different Covid vax available next year so that should increase the overall number of people who get effectiveness. We are a multi-months from hitting all of these milestones.