Sergeant Jennifer Callender (L) of the Illinois Air National Guard administers a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Virginia Persha at an established vaccination center at Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, on February 3, 2021.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
The implantation of life-saving coronavirus vaccines brings hope that life will soon return to a time before the pandemic, where we were not advised to wear a mask almost everywhere we go.
But even if you are one of the lucky few to get a Covid-19 vaccine, it will be important to continue using a face shield until researchers can determine whether the vaccines prevent people from spreading the virus to others who have not been vaccinated. , Said the White House health consultant, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Thursday.
“Currently, we don’t have enough data to say with confidence that vaccines can prevent transmission,” said Fauci in a tweet during an online question and answer session. “So, even if vaccinated, you can still spread the virus to vulnerable people.”
What clinical trials of vaccines have shown, however, is that the drugs are highly effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people who have been inoculated. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the only two in the U.S. that have received emergency clearance so far, have proven to be about 95% effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people who have received two doses weeks apart.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, an injection of a dose that has not yet received the same authorization from the federal government, reported on Friday that its vaccine was 66% effective in protecting against Covid-19 in clinical trials. Although it is inferior to the others, it is still above the limit established by the federal government – about 50% – for obtaining emergency authorization.
In addition, the company’s drug was 85% effective in preventing people seriously ill with Covid-19 four weeks after the injection. The J&J vaccine may be available in March if it meets the standards of the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use, said Fauci.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also urged people to accept any vaccine available to them when their turn comes.
Researchers are currently collecting follow-up data from people who participated in clinical trials to determine whether the amount of virus they carry in their nose is reduced after vaccination, or if there are “significantly less” cases in which people do not experience symptoms during course of your infection.
This would indicate “a decrease in the ability to transmit the virus after vaccination,” said Fauci.
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The masks, combined with other measures like frequent hand washing and social detachment, have been a critical tool in suppressing the spread of Covid-19, say medical experts.
The virus spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets that travel through the air when someone speaks, coughs, sneezes, sings or screams, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facial covers act as a barrier that can prevent drops from splashing on other people.
Now there is evidence that masks can also give the user some protection from the virus, says the CDC, although their functioning is likely to depend on the type of mask.
It is also important to remember that most Americans have not yet been vaccinated, said Dr. Joshua Barocas, a professor at Boston University School of Medicine. According to recent data from the CDC, only nearly 34 million doses of the vaccine have been administered so far.
“We don’t know who is not vaccinated. We don’t use it as a badge on our coat. We don’t use our immune function, we don’t show our risk factors on our shirts,” Barocas said during a call organized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America on Wednesday market. “We need a continuous multi-layered approach.”