General | August 22, 2021
BOTH VACCINES REDUCE THE RISK OF CONTRACTING AND TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19
Dr Jade Harries-OSTEOPATH | OWNER & DIRECTOR-B.Sci (Clin Sci), MHS (Osteopathy) – Member Osteopathy Australia
Yep, I’ve been holding back but, I’m going to go there…. Let’s talk about the current data!
76% of the current active cases we have in Victoria are under the age of 40 and 1 in 4 are under the age of 9! Yes, children are contracting and transmitting the delta variant now too. No one is exempt.
You don’t need to look far to other countries to see what happens when this virus gets out of hand. More recent studies clearly show the benefits of the vaccine reducing transmission and symptoms.
I understand that many are still choosing not to get vaccinated for a multitude of reasons, but I’ve seen common untrue arguments that vaccination doesn’t stop you contracting or transmitting COVID-19, therefore you have no reason or responsibility to be vaccinated. It’s fast become an ‘us’ verses ‘them’ mentality. It’s dividing families, friendships and communities. Whichever side of the fence you sit, you need to lean on the evidence and not mummy bloggers, uneducated ‘opinions’ and Google searches.
For those wanting some up to date evidence surrounding vaccination and transmission, I’d like to share a summary from Dr Lizzy Smith.
Yes, it’s true that young people are less likely to die from COVID-19, but the vaccination is more than just protecting the elderly and immunocompromised. It’s about not spreading it through the community.
Initial studies did not assess transmission (they looked at severe COVID/death). Since then, over 4 billion vaccines have been administered with a lot of data demonstrating;
➡ Vaccination decreases your risk of contracting COVID-19, even asymptomatic infection.
One study of 3950 front-line workers vaccinated with Pfizer had a weekly test over a 13-week period. Evidence shows they were 90% less likely to contract COVID-19, including asymptomatic infection.
The Doherty Institute (an organisation focusing on infectious disease and immunology experts) has compiled data and calculated after 1 dose of AZ, you’re 9-25% less likely to contract COVID-19, and increasing to 53-66% after 2. For Pfizer, it’s 17-41% and 75-82% respectively.
They’ve also shown those fully vaccinated by AZ and Pfizer have a >90% reduced risk of dying from COVID-19. It’s not perfect, but I’ll definitely take the 90% protection.
➡ If you contract COVID-19 after being vaccinated, you have a lower viral load which decreases risk of transmission. A study of 57,000 from England demonstrated after 1 dose of Pfizer or AZ the risk of transmission was reduced by 38-48% respectfully.
So it’s very clear…
✅ Vaccines decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19 and help protect others.
Is there potential for variants and booster vaccines in the future? Yes.
Victorians are struggling, the economy is crumbling, kids have been robbed of their childhood, and businesses are suffering.
Right now we need to trust the experts; those who have dedicated their professional lives to studying epidemiology and virology, as this is our best chance of protecting Australians and returning to normality.
Sadly, it feels like we aren’t all in this together as a select few don’t think the rules apply to them. This is tough, it’s been crippling for a long time but, we need to stay united. No one wants to be locked down, but protests are only going to further exacerbate the issue. As a like-minded democracy, we need to look to the UK as a potential road map out of this disaster. Their strategy has been far from perfect, but their high vaccination rates now allow them to enjoy a life we all crave.
Keep swimming… And if you think this might help others, please share.
Big love,
Jade Scott. xx
