- Experts say it appears that COVID-19 vaccines can help reduce the transmission of the new coronavirus from person to person.
- They say this is accomplished by reducing the viral load in a vaccinated person’s nose.
- Experts say until further studies are done, vaccinated people should still abide by safety protocols such as mask wearing and physical distancing.
There’s strong evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines approved in the United States are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
But one big question remains unanswered: Can the vaccines prevent fully vaccinated people from transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others?
The answer to this has implications for what our lives will look like going forward, such as when it will be safe for vaccinated people to stop wearing masks in public spaces.
A growing body of evidence suggests that, yes, some of the vaccines cut down on viral transmission, at least to some extent. Exactly how much, though, still needs to be determined.
“We think it is likely that vaccination will reduce transmission, but the definitive studies to prove this are still ongoing,” said Dr. Sarah George, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri.
In the meantime, public health officials are cautioning people to continue wearing masks and physical distancing in public, even after they’re vaccinated.
This will help protect those who don’t have immunity to the virus.
Source: healthline