Vaccinated people may still be able to spread the virus

The· COVID vaccine It protects against severe viruses and is very effective in preventing hospitalization and death.

But what is unclear is whether people who do not get sick when the immune system begins to fight the virus can carry and infect the virus.

Announce tFinal approval of Pfizer vaccine On Monday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said these rules need to be maintained until scientists learn more.

“To be clear, we need to remain vigilant in 2021. We need to continue all sorts of efforts. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) (# If there is no character limit, add parentheses when it first appears An arrangement that can further reduce the risk of infection, keep Australians safe, maintain their livelihoods and open Australia as much as possible, “said the Prime Minister.

“Therefore, it is important to understand that it does not mean that you can fly to Bali the next day after the vaccine is started. If it is a public health arrangement in a particular state or territory, or Australia. This does not mean that the mask will disappear if the quarantine arrangements to return to are completed, or if this is the case, as these vaccines are still limited in their ability to do so. It’s not a silver bullet. “

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Health director Professor Brendan Murphy said the question of whether vaccinated people can get the virus without getting sick is still under investigation.

“These are really important questions. People want to know them,” Murphy said.

“What we know is that the two vaccines we are currently deploying are both very good at preventing clinical COVID diseases, especially serious ones. That’s great. It will prevent people from getting sick clinically and hopefully getting sick and needing treatment and unfortunately dying.

“We still don’t know how effective it is in preventing virus infections.

“Over the next few months, we will be stepping up data on the impact of the virus on infections.

“It’s not surprising that these vaccines also prevent viral infections to some extent, but I’m not sure how effective they are in doing so.”

Asked about the impact on hotel quarantine, Professor Murphy said it was not clear whether the vaccine would force travelers to skip hotel quarantine.

“We don’t know that yet. This is the data we need to get from the next world vaccination experience. It’s a real-time experience called Phase 4 data, and probably within three months, how much. We can see that we get pretty good data on how effective it is. Vaccines are meant to prevent infection, “he said.

“This has the potential to reassess international travel, hotel quarantine, etc. This is a progressive, real-time reassessment of public health conditions.”

In the UK, UK Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Vantam emphasized over the weekend that scientists “do not yet know the effects of vaccines on infections.”

In the Sunday Telegraph in the United Kingdom, he warned that the vaccine was never 100% effective, and that it takes time for the immune response to develop even after the vaccine is given, especially in the elderly.

“Even after vaccination with both vaccines, someone else can be given COVID-19, after which the chain of infections will continue,” said Professor Vantam.

“Even if you change your behavior, you may still be spreading the virus, keeping the number of cases high and endangering others in need of the vaccine but in line. “

The short-term problem is that it is dangerous for vaccinated people to give up social distance until an immune response begins.

The bigger mystery is whether the vaccinated person can get the virus without getting sick.

“Everyone should follow national regulations and public health advice, as it can take up to three weeks for protection to begin, regardless of whether someone has been vaccinated, and the impact of the vaccine on infection is not yet known. Is important.” He warned.

“Vaccines bring a lot of hope and we are in the last halon of the pandemic, but for now we still have to follow a little more guidance, with or without vaccination.”

Here in Australia, the possibility that vaccinated people can still get the virus is a problem, which has been going on for months on Professor Paul Kelly’s radar.

“Yes, so we need modeling to consider it carefully,” Kelly said last month.

“So, for example, whether the vaccine protects against asymptomatic diseases … the AstraZeneca vaccine we have already investigated. So at this point, from that interim analysis Published in Lancet journal (During December), It probably indicates that it is not.

“So people may have an asymptomatic illness after vaccination, and they may not know it. And, as we know, others It can be transmitted to. And that’s a problem. Yes, you absolutely have to consider it. “

That’s why it’s too early to think that life will return to normal in the short to medium term as scientists learn how effective vaccines are when the majority of the population is vaccinated.

There is no reason to refuse the vaccine. There are few vaccines to prevent infection. They work by teaching the body’s immune system to fight the virus (COVID-19 in this case) when it is encountered.

There are vaccines (known as sterile vaccines) that prevent infection in the first place, as well as symptomatic illnesses.

However, it is not yet clear whether the COVID-19 vaccine is a “bactericidal” vaccine that completely blocks the infection.

Even if it induces bactericidal immunity, it is not clear how long this will last and when booster shots will be needed.

A good example is a rotavirus vaccine. It prevents people from getting a severe version of the disease. It doesn’t stop you from getting it, but it definitely proved to be invaluable in saving lives, controlling the virus and reducing hospitalization.

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writing conversationSara L Caddy, a clinical researcher in viral immunology and veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge, predicted that the answer would come in the coming months.

“What does the lack of bactericidal immunity mean for people who have been vaccinated with the new COVID vaccine? Simply put, if you encounter the virus after vaccination, you may be infected, but you will not see any symptoms. “Hmm,” she writes.

“This is because the vaccine-induced immune response cannot block the replication of all viral particles.

“It also means that you need to wear a mask and keep a social distance until you reach something that approaches herd immunity.”

Companies developing vaccines, such as Pfizer, say their vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing people from getting sick with COVID symptoms.

It is true that vaccines are very important to save lives, prevent people from getting sick, and prevent people from being hospitalized.

However, there is less clear evidence as to whether the vaccine also prevents asymptomatic infections and infections. Once the vaccine is deployed, the search for answers will continue.