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If the vaccine doesn't stop you from spreading the virus...

31 replies

aliasname · 06/01/2021 17:54

If the vaccine doesn't stop you from spreading the virus, then what happens to those people who are unable to have the vaccine? If it keeps mutating every year, then we'll never achieve herd immunity, and unvaccinated people will always be vulnerable to catching it?

Or is the plan that this is inevitable, but there will be fewer cases & therefore less pressure on the health services? Like flu, maybe.

OP posts:
Phlip · 07/01/2021 16:18

I imagine it probably will prevent transmission but they don't know that for certain yet.
It's probably useful at the moment to influence behaviour. Imagine how disruptive and open to abuse it would be if the vaccinated were exempt from restrictions.

Kazzyhoward · 07/01/2021 16:35

@aliasname

If the vaccine doesn't stop you from spreading the virus, then what happens to those people who are unable to have the vaccine? If it keeps mutating every year, then we'll never achieve herd immunity, and unvaccinated people will always be vulnerable to catching it?

Or is the plan that this is inevitable, but there will be fewer cases & therefore less pressure on the health services? Like flu, maybe.

Those must at risk need to continue to take more precautions than the healthy majority, just as they should have been doing pre Covid.

Norovirus regularly spreads through hospital wards and cruise ships and large (usually all inclusive) hotels. The most vulnerable can protect themselves (if they wish) by avoiding cruises and all inclusive hotels.

My OH is ECV due to cancer. When he goes to hospital, even pre covid, he was very careful, even moreso now. As an in-patient, he takes anti-bac wipes to wipe down the bedside cupboard, chair and table. As a day patient, he takes his own drink/snack, again wipes down the chair, using handgel after using the loo, etc, and removes/washes his outer clothes as soon as he gets home. He does that anyway, before covid, as he's got low immunity. Since diagnosis, we now avoid cruises and big hotels.

I think people (I hope anyway), will be more aware of hygiene and cleanliness as a usefull side effect of the covid year. Just because you've been vaccinated for covid doesn't mean you won't catch it, nor all the other diseases that are still out there. The vulnerable and "worried well" are free to take whatever precautions they need to take to feel safer, but nothing is ever 100% safe, so, unfortunately, people will continue to die from covid, just as they do from flu or norovirus, but hopefully in small enough numbers.

viccat · 07/01/2021 16:40

Transmission seems to be linked to viral load (the higher the viral load, the more likely you are to transmit the virus) - as they think the vaccine will reduce the viral load in infected and vaccinated people, it's likely it will have some impact on transmission. We just don't know yet.

Fembot123 · 07/01/2021 18:18

@Busygoingblah

The TB vaccine (BCG) is a completely different type of vaccine and isn’t even given out in a lot of countries (eg France, Germany, Australia) beciase it’s not considered effective enough. Even here it’s not only given to at risk populations based on family background or occupation. It shouldn’t be used as an example to compare with the covid vaccines.
When I was a matron it was given only to specific groups due to a shortage of it.
Cornettoninja · 07/01/2021 19:12

I know this is good news, but that timeline makes my heart sink. Tony Blair seems to think that if we as a country threw everything at this, we could get it done far faster

I know the feeling. Being realistic though, with the current leadership, I’m preparing for proven track record capabilities.

I absolutely believe more is possible, that’s just not what we’ve got.

JS87 · 07/01/2021 19:20

@Dowser

It took two centuries to get rid of smallpox
I read an article explaining how just trying to vaccinate everyone wasn't working. They only managed to finally eradicate it with a early form of track and trace. Once someone was identified as having smallpox they then isolated vaccinated every possible contact and contact of contact (ring vaccination) within a certain radius. www.theguardian.com/science/2020/nov/21/it-was-a-total-invasion-the-virus-that-came-back-from-the-dead
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