London.
Can we drop the masks at once after receiving the vaccine? The desired answer would be yes, however, we still have a long way to go.
According to the UK health authorities, and according to what has also been announced by the World Health Organization, vaccination does not dispense with the use of a mask for the time being. The same happens with social distance and permanent hand hygiene. 2021 will continue with these three essential rules brought in 2020 by the pandemic.
The vaccine can, as initially announced on masks, give the population a false sense of security, but we are not free from the virus. What happens is that the vaccine gives our body tools to fight the disease without getting really sick. Therefore, to effectively combat the pandemic, it is necessary to reduce exposure to the virus in addition to the vaccination campaign.
Here are the reasons why we continue to mask:
Vaccination does not give us instant immunity . Pfizer vaccines with BioNTech and Moderna need to be administered in two doses, separated by four to six weeks. This is the only way to achieve immunity and protection levels comparable to those found in vaccine trials.
During this period we can be infected with Covid-19, even though we have already taken the first dose.
Lack of data . Vaccine trials did not record whether or not participants wore a mask during the testing period. So it is not clear whether the effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, more than 90%, will have to do with the use of a mask.
The real world vs. the controlled world of clinical trials. Factors such as storage of vaccines, transport, administration of vaccines and the clinical health of the individual can determine a greater or lesser effectiveness of the drug. Clinical trials have evaluated individuals with pre-existing controlled diseases, so in the real world, without the precision of a clinical trial, the conclusions may differ with regard to immunity levels.
The desired imminence of the group is unknown. Depending on the disease, the percentage of population that needs to be immune to achieve group immunity is variable. Regarding group immunity to Covid-19, there is still no defined limit.
A return to pre-pandemic life? Calm. The path is still long since we do not know the duration of immunity that the vaccine can give us. There are still more uncertainties than certainties and predictions are still very uncertain.
The only certainty is that our cells have memory and that the immune response to infection can last up to six months in patients who have been infected, which is a good indication.
Vaccines halt transmission of Covid-19? Another of the uncertainties of this pandemic. In clinical trials by Pfizer and Moderna, asymptomatic cases were not identified with Covid-19, so the ability of the virus to decrease transmission has never been evaluated.
Remember
Sandra Donahue , the Portuguese doctor from New York,
USA, which has already been vaccinated against Covid-19 and which warned of the need to maintain precautionary and safety measures.
