Experts say people should still wear face masks and strictly observe physical distancing despite getting vaccinated.
Dr. Eugenia South, an emergency physician and faculty director of the Urban Health Lab at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of the first people to get vaccinated. Despite this, she says, "I honestly don't think I'll ever go without a mask at work again."
Health experts say that there are good reasons why we should follow Dr. South's example.
"Masks and social distancing will need to continue into the foreseeable future -- until we have some level of herd immunity," says Dr. Preeti Malani, the chief health officer of the University of Michigan.
5 Reasons to Keep Wearing Masks
Malani and other experts explain why Americans should still hold on to their masks and practice social distancing after their vaccinations.
1. Vaccines aren't 100% effective.
Multiple clinical trials have found that Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have higher effectiveness rates than other vaccines at 95%. While the results are impressive, 1-20 are left, unprotected says Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC.
'Efficacy' refers to the protection offered by vaccines during clinical trials. At the same time, 'effectiveness' is the immunity seen in the vaccinated population.
2. Vaccines don't immediately provide protection.
Vaccines aren't effective as soon as you receive the dose. It often takes roughly two weeks for your immune system to make the antibodies that block the infection.
COVID-19 vaccines would take an even more extended inoculation compared to other vaccines because both Pfizer and Moderna require two doses at three to four weeks apart, respectively.
In short, full protection from COVID won't arrive until the 5th or 6th week after the first dose of vaccine.
3. COVID vaccines aren't known to prevent one from spreading the virus.
Vaccines can carry two protection levels: protection from causing infection and from spreading the virus to other people. However, De. Paul Offit, an adviser to the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, states that the flu vaccine and the like do not prevent people from becoming carriers of the virus.
Despite COVID-19 vaccines preventing the illness, scientists need to conduct more experiments and trials to determine whether they also prevent local transmission.
4. Masks help protect immuno-compromised systems.
People with pre-existing illnesses such as cancer, lung problems, and cardiovascular diseases are at a greater risk of COVID-19. Studies show that these people have a higher risk of contracting the illness and dying.
Patients with cancer are more vulnerable because their immune systems are weakened while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment, making it harder to fight off pneumonia.
5. Face masks protect against new strains of COVID-19.
Experts are concerned with new genetic variants of the coronavirus that appears to be 50% more contagious. Although research suggests that vaccines are still effective against the new strains, public health measures such as physical distancing and avoiding crowds reduce the risks of contracting new strains.
Despite the high hopes and effectiveness of the vaccines, in these trying times, it is always best to adhere to minimum health standards to keep yourself and others around you safe.
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 on Science Times.
