For a long time, it seems like the light of hope is near, the COVID-19 vaccine is now available to all Pennsylvania people over the age of 16. Medical experts agree that vaccination is a major step in overcoming the coronavirus epidemic; however, the gun does not immediately return people to the pre-epidemic zone.
Dr David Gasperack is a family physician of WellSpan Health in Lancaster County and vice president and regional medical director supporting the eastern region of WellSpan, which includes the states of Lancaster and Lebanon. He says there are five reasons why people should hide their faces even after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine:
Reason # 1: Vaccinated people can still spread the virus to others. Gasperack says this is one of the main reasons why they continue to hide their faces after being vaccinated. It is not yet known whether vaccines prevent people from transmitting COVID-19 to other people, but so far there is no clear evidence that vaccines prevent people from transmitting the virus. Vaccines effectively prevent people from getting very sick because of COVID-19, but that doesn't mean they protect people from getting the virus unknowingly and passing it on to others, explains Gasperack.
Reason # 2: Vaccines are not 100% effective in protecting COVID-19. By working effectively in the fight against serious diseases ranging from about 85-95% of the vaccines Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, there is still a chance that people who have been vaccinated can get COVID -19. "Even if there is a vaccine, there is still a level of immunity," Gasperack said. As the world works to control coronavirus, masking mask and other safety measures can help reduce the spread of the virus.
Reason # 3: Vaccines take time to completely kick-off. The main defence is about two weeks after receiving the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (one dose of J&J vaccine and two Pfizer and Moderna drugs). In the case of the Moderna vaccine, which has a four-week window raised between the two guns, people receive maximum protection six weeks after receiving their first injection.
Reason # 4: Masks help protect people with weakened immune systems. People with weakened immune systems - for example, patients receiving cancer treatment - may not be able to get a vaccine, or they may not be effective in protecting themselves from severe COVID - 19 cases, Gasperack said.
Reason # 5: Vaccines may not be as effective as the vaccine. Gasperack explains that current COVID-19 drugs are effective compared to the known variants currently available in the US, but experts do not know how they will work in the future. "The only way to protect yourself from any possible isolation is to hide the face and distance from the community," he said.
Dr Cybele Pacheco, medical director of primary care in the Mifflin and Junior states with Geisinger, points out that the time to wear masks and isolation is not over, with about a third of Pennsylvania people being completely vaccinated so far.
As for whether face-to-face and social distance can be eradicated, Gasperack says it will be important to follow metrics such as the number of positive cases and hospitalization. In conjunction with wearing masks and performing all other COVID-19 safety procedures that have become commonplace in the past year, policies can help reduce those numbers.
"The number of cases found in the community, the incidence of the virus in the community, the number of people hospitalized… we will need to start seeing all those who go up and down," Gasperack said. The exact price targets have not been determined, but those will be the mathematicians who will be watching, he said.
Many have wondered, why worry about being vaccinated when life is about to return to normal after that? Gasperack sympathizes with this view. "We are pushing for a vaccine, we are pushing for a vaccine, people are getting it, and then there seems to be no change," he said.
However, the vaccine will ultimately help improve those metrics seen by health professionals, says Gasperack, and hopefully everyone's strength will return to normal. Pacheco says the protection afforded by vaccines can help people get back to work and go back to school and back to safe entertainment.
"Once you get the vaccine, and friends and family are vaccinated, you can slowly start to reconstruct it in very good ways, but I think a vaccine is really the first step in being able to do that," Pacheco said. He said that when gatherings were organized with his family, the first thing they discussed was whether they were all vaccinated.
Many have been plagued by COVID-19 fatigue, and the continued cover-up and distance may seem daunting. "I get it. I've got it, we've all got it. We're tired, we're tired of everything," Gasperack said, but he urged people not to lose their security prematurely.
Looking for more information on the COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania? Visit abc27.com/vaccine.
Getting back to “normal” life soon can be like a tug-of-war in five football matches, Gasperack said. “We're almost there. We have been waiting for this time to get the vaccine and have enough access to give it to people, ”he said. "We're close to being at that point when I think we're starting to get back to normal."
Of course, the common denominator after the epidemic may not be the same as the common prejudice. More guns may be needed to protect future COVID-19s. And Pacheco says the mask may be here to stay for a while.
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