Posted by Mtom on August 12, 2021, at 11:27:00
In reply to Re: Who has gotten a Covid Vaccine Experiences? » Mtom, posted by Phillipa on August 5, 2021, at 20:30:16
> I'm so glad you replied as since this thread was started back in June. It shows how we had not even two full months of reduction in cases. And now that vaccinations have been out for a while. I agree that when the World is all involved in this virus that it is real. Here in the Carolinas cases with Delta are rising very quickly. Since the vaccination rate is so low here now surprising that cases are rising and yes it started with the unvaccinated. Now it seems breakthrough cases are getting just as bad. My Granddaughter turns 12 in a week and her Mother is getting her vaccinated with Pfizer in Florida. So what do you feel is going to stop this pandemic? Phillipa
Phillipa: Here in Canada, Delta was first detected in the spring and is now dominant. Yet our caseloads started decreasing dramatically in late spring and early summer with increasing rates of vaccination (Canada had been lagging early on due to initial issues with vaccine availability but is now near the top in the world for vaccinations).
But over the last couple of weeks, cases have started to rise again. As restrictions lifted (still some in place like masking in buildings except when eating, some limits to the size of gatherings and events), people are gathering in larger numbers and more frequently, this starting just as Delta became dominant. And although vaccination rates have been quite high, they have been plateauing - there is still a portion of our population who are not getting vaccines, for the usual reasons much discussed on the web & in the news. Our case numbers are still relatively low compared to the peaks of our 2nd & 3rd waves, but the upward trend is concerning & today in the province of Ontario (Canada's most populous) cases jumped to the same level as mid June, which was when we started slowly coming out of our 3rd wave lockdown, in stages with gradual increasing reduced restrictions. The large majority are in unvaccinated persons. However there is spill-over and breakthrough cases in the vaccinated - the vast majority of those thankfully mild. However when most restrictions lifted or eased considerably, people started generally acting like it was all over, public areas are busy, patios and indoor restaurants are full (with tables spaced 6 feet), lots of social gatherings.
As far as stopping the Pandemic? Vaccinations have been proven around the world to be the best tool we have at present. We need vaccines in everyone globally because as long as this virus exists in large numbers in any country, it will continue to spread elsewhere, the world is too interconnected in modern times to "quarantine" populations. Also the more people infected in the world, the higher the odds for new variants to arise. Variants can only arise while the virus is reproducing inside human cells - that's when mutations occur. The more human cells infected worldwide, the greater the odds of new variants. Scientists of course know this and have commented on it.
Some European countries (e.g. France and others considering it) have started issuing vaccine passports in order to visit venues or even eat on a patio. Very unpopular of course (lots of large protests), however it had the desired effect of tremendously boosting vaccination bookings in France (which were lagging) - between the time the announcement was made and last weekend, at least 7 million more people got their first vaccine.
Evidence is gathering that booster shots will be needed also. And we don't yet have enough even vaccinated at all.
Some experts think we will never be completely rid of Covid-19, but that eventually it will become "endemic" as opposed to "pandemic", that it will always exist in the background with periodic smaller outbreaks, just like Influenza. Vaccines and likely regular boosters will help keep our immune systems primed to fight it, and with these, most cases will be milder. The current Covid vaccines are already more effective on average than the annual Flu vaccines. But it has been shown with the Flu vaccine that even though they're only, on average, 50% effective, those who are vaccinated and get the Flu tend to have milder symptoms.
Still, we first need to get the world vaccinated to get the Pandemic under control.
poster:Mtom
thread:1113573
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20210723/msgs/1116358.html