Why?!!!

[MrsWarleggan]

Just got a text to self isolate after being in close contact last week with a positive case.

I had Covid in November and am double jabbed.....what is the chuffing point?!!!

I actually asked the T&T people why I have to self isolate and was told "because you need to protect the people who have chosen to not have the vaccine and to stop the spread". I also asked whether irrespective of vaccines would everyone have to self isolate until the end of time. They couldn't answer me.

I just genuinely don't understand. The rest of the household doesn't have to isolate as we have absolutely no symptoms, but I do school drop off and pick up due to DH working 12 hour shifts, so now my perfectly healthy DD can't go to school....for absolutely no reason.

Am I alone in my thinking???

The jab doesn't necessarily prevent you from acquiring a mild case and being infectious. Especially with cases rising, it is important to isolate potentially infectious people.

The government messaging has always been clear that vaccination status does not alter requirements to isolate whatsoever

It seems bonkers to me but I think it's misplaced being snarky with the track & trace people, they're just doing their job. Contact your MP.

@shouldistop

Wasn't snarky. Just asked a perfectly reasonable question!

There are lot of stupid laws, but I follow them.

Call your dd school, they might be able to help or use volunteers that can help.

How annoying. A massive inconvenience for your family despite the chance of you getting coronavirus being tiny. And if you did, getting it very mildly.

Could you drive your DC to school on your way to get a test, everyday?

Honestly your attitude with the t&t staff wasn't needed. They're just doing their job, not writing the rules.

I think it will become obvious to more and more people over time, the case of "what is the point"
Part of the reason[about reason 6 in my case] why I am in no hurry to get one.

The vaccine doesn't make you immune. It merely massively improves your chances of fighting the infection successfully.

The vaccine doesn't stop you getting the virus, nor does it stop you carrying it and infecting others (although evidence suggests you don't spread it quite as readily).

Therefore, it still makes sense to isolate, particularly now we have a high number of cases of a particularly troublesome strain.

@VerticalHorizon

I completely understand that the vaccine doesn't make you immune.... My frustration is that with vaccines being the "key to unlock" if I'm going to have to isolate every single time I stand next to an infected person for 15 minutes it's hardly the way to freedom as has been rammed down out throats.

Also to PPs, I did not have an attitude or rude to T&T staff. I was perfectly pleasant!

You can still spread the virus to people who haven't had the chance to be vaccinated yet, which is a LOT of people. The vaccine rollout is only partway through.

Totally agree. Waste of time you isolating.

I think the vaccine being key to unlocking relates to a point where most of the country has been vaccinated, and right now, there is still a significant number who haven't, particularly in the young and some ethnic minorities.

So the vaccine doesn’t stop the spread?

No, it doesn't stop it.
It does the following:

1. Reduces the spread (not stop it)
2. Reduces the likelihood of dying from it if you get it (if you're vaccinated)
3. Because of 1), it also helps to reduce the chances of a dangerous mutation.

Over 50 of my colleagues at a local hospital have been double jabbed and tested positive for the delta variant. That’s the point.

I can understand (although I don't agree with it) having to isolate until everyone has been offered the vaccine as hopefully by that time we will have heard immunity and those who can't have the vaccine will still be protected. I have no interest in going out of my way to protect those who choose not to have it though.

The vaccine helps out bodies 'prepare' for the infection and build a resistance to it. It doesn't make us immune. You could still die from it.

However, the vaccine massively reduces the risk of seriously illness or death, and there's evidence to suggest it also helps to reduce the spread of it (but again, doesn't stop it completely)

If all of the above is true, then people who have survived a mild bout of covid gain no net benefit form vaccines.

I had covid and fully vaccinated too. If the vaccine was only ever meant to stop me requiring hospital then I have already proved that it wont kill me surely?

I get it OP.

Load of crap. Protect people who have chosen not to have the vaccine??? WTF. There will always be some that choose not to have the vaccine. So that means the country can never ever stop the isolation rules / process for vaccinated people until the end of time.

3) Because of 1), it also helps to reduce the chances of a dangerous mutation.

It doesn't when the government delays blocking travel from countries with dangerous mutations, all because they want a trade deal with said country.

I understand your frustration MrsWarleggan. If your contact was identified via the app, delete it. Most people already have.

Sadly the world is full of other people who haven't had the chance of a vaccine.

Herd Immunity does not mean others can't get it and die from it. It just means it can't multiply, therefore will eventually die. However, whilst it is dying out, it can still infect and kill.

@SunbathingDragon

Completely understood and as I said previously I know it doesn't offer 100% protection. My point is, what is the point of having the vaccine if you have to isolate.

There will always be unvaccinated people. There will always be the chance that vaccinated people can catch it. There will always be mutations.

So under that assumption we will ALWAYS have to isolate. Always.

So what is the point??

Maybe I'm having a wobble, but I refuse to live the rest of my life (and for my kids) like this!!

@Lissy23

So the vaccine doesn’t stop the spread?

Obviously it doesn't entirely stop it, no. No vaccine is ever 100% effective and at present there are too many people who haven't had the vaccine.

It reduces the risk of transmission by at least half though.

However, at present not enough people are fully vaccinated. I think I read we need something like 70% to be fully vaccinated.

I hope/assume that soon we won’t have to isolate because when everyone (who wants to be) is vaccinated the risk of passing on is much lower still. I would expect isolation to only be for active symptoms or positive test results soon.

It doesn't when the government delays blocking travel from countries with dangerous mutations, all because they want a trade deal with said country

Yes it does.
Regardless of other errors happening in governance, every vaccine helps reduce the risk. Government may undo a lot of that work, but it would still be worse without being vaccinated.

The vaccine helps, irrespective of countless other cockups. I disagree that it would be better still without those to contend with too!