Well, first of all, receive my congratulations and be the recipient of my healthiest envy. Second, you will have to assume that nothing will have changed until the average time it takes for the vaccine-induced immunization mechanism to reach its maximum efficiency, which will depend on the type of vaccine received.
And that’s it! You are a chosen one, an anointed one, a touched by grace. He is immunized.
The downside is that most of those immunized have no idea what exactly their new “state” consists of. Especially if they are neither scientists, nor doctors, nor health workers. Because, as in so many other stages of this horrible pandemic that we are experiencing, information is not disseminated as it should to the ordinary population (a topic that I will not comment here because I lack the necessary political correctness to leave a head uncut).
Therefore, it is necessary to have a list of things that one has to know at hand. In this way, those vaccinated will be clear about what they have to do (or what they should not do) both to ensure their own safety and to guarantee that of others.
Things a covid-19 vaccinated person should know
- You are immunized so, in principle and in theory, you have a low probability of developing the disease. But, beware! Yes, you can be infected if you contact the virus. In other words, the vaccine protects you (statistically) from getting sick from COVID-19 but it does not prevent SARS-CoV-2 from entering your body.
- That is why it is very important to emphasize that, although vaccines have a very high percentage of effectiveness and efficiency, there will always be a question: what if I am unlucky enough to be in the residual statistical zone of ineffectiveness? In addition, the performance of a vaccine in the real world does not have to exactly match the efficacy demonstrated in the clinical trial , so that troublesome statistical piquancy may be wider than expected.
- Although their immunization will be, with high probability, effective (thus eliminating the jinx factor), it can be reduced. I explain. Current vaccines use as antigenic reference the protein S of SARS-CoV-2 that was first sequenced, that is, that of the crown of the original Chinese strain generated in Wuhan. Therefore, if mutations occur that affect said protein, the neutralizing effect of the antibodies can be altered, since they fix the virus by the crown.
- In fact, this is what has happened with the South African strain (B.1.351), although not with the British (B.1.1.7) nor with the Brazilian (P1). In other words, vaccines will become obsolete in the face of the inevitable coronavirus evolution. This is why some vaccines against certain viruses (such as the flu) need to be given every year.
- Consequently, pharmaceutical companies will incorporate mutant sequences in successive vaccine manufacturing processes. But as evolution continues its course without stopping, new strains will emerge that will coexist with the previous ones. The problem, therefore, is that a priori it is not possible to know which strain of virus, in particular, is going to be contacted. You may get a new strain for which your vaccine is old.
- As not all COVID-19 cases are being sequenced, it is not known if reinfections are due to strains other than those causing the first disease (against which we are supposed to have acquired immunity by overcoming it), or if, by On the contrary, it is the same and we have lost immunity with the passage of time (which would be much worse). Therefore, the information regarding reinfections is also not very clear.
- You are immunized, but not sterilized. This means that you can be a source of contagion for people who are not vaccinated, which includes your belongings, your clothes and everything that falls within your range of action.
- You are immunized, but we do not know if you are a carrier of the virus. Note that you may be infected again by SARS-CoV-2 and be completely asymptomatic. Therefore, although your viral load will be reduced (some studies advance that it is minimal), you can still be dangerous for an unvaccinated person.
- We do not yet know how long the immunization generated by the vaccines will be effective. Remember that all investigations are being generated in real time and the entire planet is acting as a macro-laboratory where we humans are guinea pigs.
So where are the benefits of the vaccine?
The immunity generated by vaccines is very high, much higher than that obtained after passing the disease. It is, therefore, highly unlikely to become ill with COVID-19 while vaccinated.
Despite this, if you catch it and develop the disease, the consequences will be much milder because your viral load will be much lower. The first evidences of the protective effects of the vaccines were obtained in macaques (Macaca mulatta) vaccinated and confronted again with the virus. These can be extrapolated to our species, where the latest studies show that vaccination is very effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection (including both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections).
In the case of being unlucky enough to be diagnosed with COVID-19 once vaccinated, know that the hospitalization rate is 60% lower in those vaccinated than in those not vaccinated.
The fact of being vaccinated means that the possible infection by new strains results in much reduced symptoms of the disease. That is, although with an old vaccine, it is much better to be vaccinated than not.
Mass vaccination has a fundamental beneficial effect: by breaking the chain of transmission, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is hindered. This is the key point to end the pandemic and begin to relax the annoying security measures, such as the use of masks, the maintenance of the safety distance or the restriction of mobility.
Conclusions
At a global level, when vaccination is massive, the virus will have very difficult replication and the pandemic will be controlled. That means that we will be able to travel and regain our social dynamism.
On a personal level, being vaccinated will make it very unlikely that you will get COVID-19. And, if he does get sick, it will be very difficult for him to do it seriously. But remember, until the vaccination is massive, your recklessness can lead to the death of those who are not lucky enough to be vaccinated yet.
As my beloved Sabina says, Death is only luck with a changed letter.
A. Victoria de Andrés Fernández, Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Biology, University of Malaga
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original.
