There were a lot of fears that coronavirus can be spread and carried by vaccinated people. A new study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showcases that vaccinated people are at a much lower risk for spreading COVID-19. They are not only protected from the severe symptoms of the virus but they also spread it less.
CDC director Rochelle Walensky who is an MD and the direction of CDC said to MSNBC on Tuesday that, “Vaccinated people do not carry the virus — they don’t get sick,” She said that it is “not just in clinical trials, but it’s also in real-world data.”
This study was published on Monday and is the first analysis by CDC monitoring the effect of the vaccines that are available in the market on adults and front line workers who are all at a much higher risk when it comes to being exposed to the virus. Dr. Walensky made a statement that “These findings should offer hope to the millions of Americans receiving COVID-19 vaccines each day and to those who will have the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated in the weeks ahead. The authorized vaccines are the key tool that will help bring an end to this devastating pandemic.”
This research was performed by researchers who collected information from over 4000 first responders, health care workers, and other important workers from over eight locations all over the United States. The study not only considered the first coronavirus strain against whom the vaccines were produced but also the latest contagious variants of the virus. The participant’s risk of infections was reduced by 80 percent after getting one dose of either the Moderna vaccine or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The risk was down by 90 % after the participant received the second dose. Scientists saw very similar data in clinical trials as well. That data showed that there was an efficacy rate of 95% after the vaccine was administered twice. It’s simple, if the person is not infected then they will not be spreading the virus.
The CDC has not yet announced any new guidelines for vaccinated people about new precautions. As of now, the CDC stands behind its advice that even vaccinated people should take all safety measures such as wearing masks.
There is more good news when it comes to the corona virus this week. A clinical trial announced on Wednesday that the Pfizer vaccine showed 100% effectiveness in children who are in the age bracket of 12 to 15 years of age. Regulatory approval is still pending on this but this could mean that the vaccination process for teenagers and older children can start maybe by the next academic year as reported by The New York Times. Vaccines could maybe follow this for elementary school children as well.
It’s very rare that there is good news about COVID-19 but this week, both these studies give us hope that maybe life could return to normal soon.
