Vaccination does help cut down transmission

[Dominic]

This article sums up the benefits of getting vaccinated quite nicely. It also explains why vaccinated people should still wear masks etc.

https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles ... duals.html

New Data on COVID-19 Transmission by Vaccinated Individuals
A Q&A WITH AMESH ADALJA | APRIL 8, 2021

In a recent White House press briefing, CDC director Rochelle Walensky cited new data indicating that the two-dose regimen of COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections.

What does this mean, exactly? And what might data like this suggest for public health guidance going forward? Amesh Adalja, MD, of the Center for Health Security, answers a few questions about our evolving understanding of immunity and COVID vaccines.

Can we say with any degree of certainty that vaccinated people are unlikely to spread COVID to unvaccinated individuals?
The emerging data confirms what many of us thought would be the case—that not only do the vaccines stop symptomatic COVID, but they also make it highly unlikely that someone can even be infected at all.

I think the preponderance of the evidence supports the fact that vaccinated individuals are not able to spread the virus.

What do we know about one-dose regimens, either single-dose vaccines or a delayed second dose that some nations have implemented to increase the availability of vaccines?
There is significant immunity that is engendered two weeks after a single dose of the two-dose vaccines, and though the data is more robust for the approved two-dose schedules, countries that prioritized first doses took a reasonable approach.

What is known about the variants of concern and their ability to infect fully vaccinated individuals?
When it comes to variants, it is likely the case that it depends on the variant and depends on the vaccine.

The B.1.1.7 variant (first identified in the U.K.) is one that vaccines appear robust against. The more concerning B.1.351 variant (first identified in South Africa) appears to pose problems for the J&J vaccine but not where it counts in terms of presenting serious disease, hospitalization, and death. Data on the P.1 variant (first identified in Brazil) is forthcoming, but I suspect it will be similar to the B1.351 variant.

Current guidance states that even fully vaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks and social distance. What’s the logic behind that?
Operationally, it is very challenging to know who is vaccinated and who is not, so the guidance in public places likely will be slow to change until more people are vaccinated. You can’t expect a cashier to ask for proof of vaccination.

Amesh Adalja, MD, is a senior scholar at the Center for Health Security and an adjunct professor in Environmental Health and Engineering. He is also an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health.

[Kili01]

Interesting, but much the same as I have read in other reports on the benefits of vaccines and vaccination.

Dee

[Kili01]

I wish that more of the population here would go and get vaccinated, but there seems to be an aversion by a section of the population who seem to be willing to risk getting Covid with all the possible risks to their health attached, rather than risk being vaccinated. It seems crazy, as some still refuse to social distance themselves or to wear a mask...

This week will see packed church services in and outside churches, unless the rules are followed. I hope that the number of cases won't go up.
Dee

[galexinda]

Thank you Dominic, good to see the information coming together in one place and so having a better overview of the current situation.

People have already made up their minds as to whether or not they will get vaccinated so I don't see a big swing in favour of having it done, although the inconvenience of having twice weekly tests may sway those who want to go out a lot, but even that is being queried by lawyers.

[jeba]

I wish that more of the population here would go and get vaccinated, but there seems to be an aversion by a section of the population who seem to be willing to risk getting Covid with all the possible risks to their health attached, rather than risk being vaccinated. It seems crazy, as some still refuse to social distance themselves or to wear a mask...

I think there will be many who aren´t opposed to vaccination per se but want a m-RNA vaccine rather than AZ and take the gamble to wait until it becomes available.

[Dominic]

What do you base that on? Most people I see on social media who don't want a vaccine tend not to want any vaccine.

Also, a lot of the dimmer anti-vaxxers think that the mRNA vaccines will be reprogramming our own DNA.

And why is an mRNA vaccine necessarily better than AZ?

[Dominic]

Yes people seem to forget about what having COVID can be like.

[Kili01]

Yes, that's the impression that I get, when chatting to antivaxers. They have various reasons for this.

[galexinda]

I don't know of any 'antivaxxers' but there are quite a few who cannot have any of the vaccines for medical reasons.

Also some believe being vaccinated means they will not get Covid at all and many didn't realise they would need a booster every few months or so.

[The Aquila]

I don't know of any 'antivaxxers' but there are quite a few who cannot have any of the vaccines for medical reasons.

Also some believe being vaccinated means they will not get Covid at all and many didn't realise they would need a booster every few months or so.

here are the latest answers to FAQ’s.

12. What is the percentage of protection after each dose of each vaccine?
• Pfizer/BioNTech: offers 52% immunity seven days after the 1st dose, with the percentage rising to 89% after another week. According to the latest data from Pfizer, seven days after the 2nd dose, the effectiveness reaches 91.3% against mild illness from COVID-19 and 95.3% against severe illness.
• AstraZeneca: ensures 70% immunity three weeks after the 1st dose, while
15 days after the 2nd dose protection of 76% to 94% against COVID-19 is achieved. It is 100% effective in preventing serious illness and hospitalization.
• Moderna: the effectiveness reaches 92% 14 days after the 1st dose, while 14 days after the 2nd dose, the effectiveness reaches 94.1%, and while six (6) months after the 2nd dose, the protection amounts to 90% against mild illness from COVID-19 and at 95% against severe illness.
• Johnson&Johnson: protection begins after 14 days, while after 28 days, its effectiveness against the severe effects of the COVID-19 virus reaches 85%. After 49 days, the vaccine has been proven to almost completely prevent hospitalization and the risk of death.

https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/uplo ... inesEN.pdf

[Diocletian]

The Astra Zeneca vaccine is a an mRNA vaccine according to the literature.

[Dominic]

Please provide a source for your literature. The literature I read said it wasn't.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/how-j-j-and ... -1.1589765

[71 Trans Am]

Correct Dominic

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, named BNT162b2, and known as Comirnaty in the European Union, is a two-dose mRNA vaccine developed by two pharmaceutical industry companies: Pfizer in the United States and BioNTech in Germany.19 Apr 2021

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19 is more rugged than the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. DNA is not as fragile as RNA, and the adenovirus's tough protein coat helps protect the genetic material inside. As a result, the Oxford vaccine doesn't have to stay frozen.3 days ago

[jeba]

And why is an mRNA vaccine necessarily better than AZ?

Maybe not necessarily. However, the data I remember are that the efficacy of Vaxzevria is lower (around 65-75% vs. 95% for m-RNA for mild and moderate disease, still close to 100 % for death though) vaccines.
m-RNA vaccines also have the advantage that they don´t need a vector virus. Which is beneficial because by the time the second shot is due some people have developed immunity against the vector. Also, in some regions of Southern Africa the vector virus is endemic (it crossed from chimpanzees to humans) which explains why the Vaxzevria didn´t work well in South Africa and hasn´t been approved there.
Then there is a potential problem when it comes to manufacturing: the vector virus may accidentally not be fully inavctivated. Happened already with the Russian vaccine.

[jeba]

What do you base that on? Most people I see on social media who don't want a vaccine tend not to want any vaccine.

On what I read on forums and what I was considering myself. If I had had a choice or would have had to wait only a few more days I´d have opted for a m-RNA vaccine.

[jeba]

The Astra Zeneca vaccine is a an mRNA vaccine according to the literature.

No!

[jeba]

]Data on efficacy in the US (not for the AZ vaccine as it isn´t appoved there):
[quote]
The CDC now tracks data on “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases, which are defined as infections, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the virus occurring at least 14 days after the final vaccine dose. With close to 100 million Americans fully vaccinated, these instances remain exceedingly rare. In fact, there has only been 7,157 “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases of which 498 were hospitalized and 88 died as of April 20, 2021. By our calculations, this means the breakthrough infection rate, hospitalization rate, and death rate are approximately 0.010%, 0.001%, and 0.0001% respectively
[/quote

[Diocletian]

Please provide a source for your literature. The literature I read said it wasn't.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/how-j-j-and ... -1.1589765

My bad, I misread the article.