So we can once again convince ourselves that as long as we save those who are currently dying, we’re fine. But we are setting ourselves up for another round of being overwhelmed.

What is the alternative? If we stop celebrating prematurely and instead become proactive about preparing for almost-inevitable next surges, we can, hopefully, change the pattern.

The plan for how to do this is not particularly intellectually complicated. It is, in fact, what many of us have been calling for since the early days of the pandemic (and what the then-incoming Biden-Harris administration so effectively proposed in January 2021): to practice public health at its best. Yes, we need people to be vaccinated, period, and the Biden administration has done an incredible job of saving lives by making this first step happen. But more is needed. We also need investments in better data systems, now, to signal when a surge is on its way and to provide clear metrics of when to increase protections (like masks) — and clear lines about when these protections can be relaxed.