In the general understanding of people, remains the following idea regarding vaccines, “You get a shot, then you dont get infected“. Perhaps this common thought is probably inherited naturally by all of us who have grown up receiving vaccines or drugs since we were children. But this general concept of vaccines having an unbeaten efficacy against infections, in the case of SARS-COV-2, is resulting in the adoption of mistaken virus battling strategies which could end in a pandemic scenario much worse than the current one.
Some evidences, at this time when write this post, regarding vaccines against SARS-COV-2 are:
•SARS-COV-2 is a RNA Virus as HIV or Flu. RNA virus main characteristic is their HIGH MUTATION RATE. When virus survival strategy resides in mutation, is just expected than the virus mutates, and obtaining a vaccine which covers all the possible virus/bacteria variants, with efficacy for each one, is quite impossible. Today, world is still waiting for a HIV vaccine, and vaccines for Flu exist, but are “reformulated” every year according to the last predominant flu variant to keep some decent efficacy for most of people. Therefore, Covid-19 vaccines probably will be no different.
At this time, when writting this post, having high percentages of population fully vaccinated in several “first world countries” there are several evidences regarding Covid-19 vaccines:
•Vaccines prevent mainly severe illnes in the vast majority of cases, but Vaccinated and Non Vaccinated can get Infected same way, being simptomatic or assimptomatic, but Infected. It means Vaccinated and Non Vaccinated are mutation grounds for the virus. Therefore Vaccinated can transmit the virus in the same way as non Vaccinated.
Lets have a look at a couple of recent papers studying consequences of vaccination as only or main strategy:
Researchers from Geneva University, School of Medicine and the Institute of Science and Technology of Austria, recently modeled the impact of Vaccination Rates in the absence of non pharmaceutical Infection Avoidance Strategies: as Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation for Indoor Air Disinfection, Ventilation, Face Mask Wearing, etc
In words of researchers:
•Vaccines are thought to be the best available solution for controlling the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, the emergence of vaccine-resistant strains may come too rapidly for current vaccine developments to alleviate the health, economic and social consequences of the pandemic.
•when a relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions happened at a time when most individuals of the population have already been vaccinated the probability of emergence of a resistant strain was greatly increased.
•Our results suggest that policymakers and individuals should consider maintaining non-pharmaceutical interventions and transmission-reducing behaviours throughout the entire vaccination period.
In words of researchers:
What is already known about this topic?
Variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to emerge
What is added by this report?
469 COVID-19 cases were identified among Massachusetts residents who had traveled to the town during July 3–17; 346 (74%) occurred in fully vaccinated persons. Testing identified the Delta variant in 90% of specimens from 133 patients.
What are the implications for public health practice?
Jurisdictions might consider expanded prevention strategies
Non pharmaceutical interventions are strongly needed, more than ever, to stop infection transmission among population, vaccinated or not. It is strictly needed cause as we know, vaccinated and non vaccinated are mutation grounds for the virus, and both can keep transmiting the Covid-19 to other persons. SAR S-COV-2 can change in variants even worst than Delta, where vaccines even not could be effective stopping severe illnes development. So looks smart stop mutation by preventing infections, not only to protect people, also to protect vaccines efficacy.
Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation has 70 years of success avoiding safely airborne infections in indoor environments. It succeeded at Schools in 1937, preventing transmission of the Most Contagious Airborne Infections, Measles. Moreover, Upper-Room UVGI is the only system with measured efficacy on Real Conditions up to date, avoiding airborne infections with +80% efficacy, being this efficacy measured by Harvard University, CDC, World Health Organization, among other scientific and medical institutions.
LIGHTDIS plans the protection of your facilities against Covid-19 and other diseases transmitted by air with precision and safety for people. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need more information.
Contact: info@lightdis.com
