Special Report
Vaccination Could Cut Transmission, National Study Shows
Published:
Among the biggest questions about the global vaccination process is whether vaccines protect both those who have received doses, and those who come in contact with them after the vaccination process is done. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been described as 94% effective, in terms of protecting those who have had two doses, usually given three to four weeks apart.
However, if someone who has been inoculated carries the disease, but has no symptoms, can they spread it to others? A new major study, conducted in Israel, indicates that people who are vaccinated are unlikely to spread COVID-19.
The solution to the puzzle is very important. If vaccinations protect both those who are inoculated and many people they come into contact with, both new cases, and potentially, deaths, should fall. These are the states where the most people are vaccinated.
The U.S. continues to be the hardest hit nation in the world, although the rate at which the disease is growing has dropped. Nevertheless, over 500,000 people have died in America, the largest total in the world, and about 20% of the global numbers. Confirmed cases in the U.S. now approach 30 million, about 25% of the global numbers.
And, the U.S. continues to be threatened by three new variants of the disease from the U.K., South Africa, and Brazil. The U.K. version, which hit that nation very hard, spreads more quickly than the one that has infected the U.S. population since January 2020. Coupled with the fact that vaccination rates in American are still low, there is ongoing anxiety about another rise in the rate of infections.
Click here to see more about the national study that showed vaccination could cut transmission.
A Strong Indication Vaccination Cuts Spread
Reuters recently reported on an Israeli study, the largest of its kind done anywhere in the world, about the relationship between vaccination and spread. “Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is likely to greatly reduce virus transmission, two Israeli studies have found, shedding light on one of the biggest questions of the global effort to quash the pandemic,” the news service reported.
The information is not complete in that it does not cover vaccination developed by other companies.
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Government Participation
The study was conducted by both the Israeli Health Ministry and Pfizer. It found that “vaccine developed with Germany’s BioNTech reduces infections, including asymptomatic cases, by 89.4% and symptomatic cases by 93.7%.”
No other government in the world has conducted such a study. Israel has done a better job at vaccination than any other major country in the world. As of February 22, 30% of its population had received both doses. That compares with about 6% in the U.S. These are the safest cities in America for COVID-19.
A Second Major Study About Vaccination and Spread
Another study was conducted in Israel. Sheba Medical Center published a paper in the widely regarded medical journal The Lancet. It reviewed 7,241 hospital staff who had received their first dose in January. According to the Jerusalem Post, Sheba’s team found a 75% decrease in all infections and an 85% reduction in symptomatic infections between 15-28 days after vaccination.
Unanswered Questions
Despite the Israel studies, and a large body of scientists who believe vaccination cuts transmission, there are reasons that the data are not considered conclusive. The Washington Post reports: “The trials testing the vaccines weren’t set up to answer those questions first. Rather, they were designed to initially determine the more urgent matter of whether vaccines would prevent people from getting sick and overwhelming medical systems.”
Saving lives was considered secondary to answering the question about whether those who are vaccinated can spread the disease.
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Scientist Rush To Get More Conclusive Answers
To be able to offer the public conclusive data, scientists are well down the road of conducting more research. According to the journal Nature, published on February 19, “Pfizer, based in New York City and maker of another leading COVID-19 vaccine, says that it will start swabbing participants every two weeks in vaccine trials taking place in the United States and Argentina, to see whether the shot can prevent infection.”
However, almost all experts agree, it will take several large studies so that there is conclusive evidence that fully vaccinated people are highly unlikely to spread COVID-19. This is when Dr. Fauci says we can stop wearing masks
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