Re: Wonderful News! (Vaccination trials successful)
Originally Posted by
AnnieS
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My limited understanding of the biontech vaccination is that it stops you from developing a severe illness and prevents you from having symptoms. But it doesn't stop you infecting others if you are affected.
It works as long as everyone has a vaccination. The unvaccinated are not protected. The vaccine does not carry any inactive covid virus. It carries a programme to tell your cells to attack and destroy the virus on contact. I guess it would depend on the viral load as to whether you would remain infectious despite not getting sick yourself.
As the main aim is to stop people getting a severe illness it's a real breakthrough but it is not a panacea.
Annie
that is my understanding too.
Now the virus is with us, like many others it will be almost impossible to eradicate and as the scientists say 'if it is anywhere it is everywhere'
It will take years to vaccinate the world population and this will be hampered by reservoirs of virus in some areas where a suspicions population refuses vaccination, we saw this with the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
While the vaccine should prevent severe illness and death in many it is not a 'cure all' .
We don't yet know if the vaccine can prevent transmission, if it doesn't those who are relying on herd immunity will remain susceptible.