VACCINES MAY NOT STOP TRANSMISSION There are al
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There are also critical questions that have yet to be answered in clinical studies about whether the vaccines actually prevent the transmission of the virus.
"What we know is if you get that vaccine, you are more likely not going to get severely ill from the virus," explained Dr. Pia MacDonald an epidemiologist and senior director of RTI International's applied public health research. "We don't yet know what that means about your ability to transmit the virus to others even if you are vaccinated."
FILE - In this July 27, 2020, file photo, nurse Kathe Olmstead prepares a shot that is part of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., in Binghamton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
In other words, a person who gets one of the two available vaccines has a 95% chance of being protected against serious illness, personally, but they may still be able to contract the virus and spread it to others. That would mean a greater opportunity for the pandemic to continue despite vaccine availability.
The initial clinical trials did not assess whether the vaccines would reduce transmission. In the coming months, additional research will analyze whether the vaccines are stopping transmission in addition to preventing serious illness. Scientists also hope to discover how long immunity lasts—another factor not included in initial studies.
"A vaccine is one aspect of controlling the epidemic in the United States but it's not going to be a silver bullet," MacDonald said. "We're still a long way away from our old normal."
https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/epid...9-vaccines