Know how vaccination protects not only you, but all those you know

A friend who recently got the 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, asked me something that I believe is a widespread query. Her question was, "I know that getting the shot will protect me from severe disease, but how does that mean that the pandemic will end? The virus will still be around, right?"

A very legitimate query. So, here I would like to share the answer I gave her, hoping that it would help you understand and clear the doubts you may have.

First of all, yes. The vaccine is not guaranteed to stop you from getting COVID-19. But, it will protect from the disease in its severe form and from possible complications. A fitting analogy will be you getting into a fight scene. If you have a knowledge of your opponents moves, it gives you an edge to prepare better. The vaccine is like that knowledge. It gives your body some idea on building a strategy against the virus.

But how will that end the pandemic? In this case, the other property of the vaccine has to be considered. Recent studies have declared that the COVISHIELD vaccine can reduce transmission by 50%. That means mass immunisation will not only protect individuals but also reduce the spread of the disease within the community. How so? Let me explain with an example.

X has 1 kg of rice, to give away. He gives 50% to Y, i.e. about 500g. Y gives 50% to Z, i.e. 250 g. Z gives 50% to P and so on.

In this case, the given load is reducing substantially while being passed from one person to the next. That's the way in which viral transmission can be reduced by vaccination. For a person to spread the virus, he would have to have a significant viral load with replicating potential. If the immune system is trained to attack the virus and prevent it from replicating, the viral load will definitely come down and the chances of transmission are reduced.

So, overall, just like the INFLUENZA virus which caused a deadly pandemic 100 years ago, is still among us, COVID-19 will also be around for years to come. But, the flu virus doesn't kill millions now, partly because of the herd immunity that saves people from contracting and transmitting the virus. It can be hoped that mass vaccination against COVID-19 will also have a similar result.

However, due to the novel nature of the virus, there is also the scare that it will mutate into a variant that can escape the current vaccine protection. For this reason, even if you are vaccinated fully, do not let your guard down. Transmission might be lower with the vaccine but they can be lowered even more with proper masking and handwashing protocols. 

A second concern is also the duration to which antibodies persist. Unlike other viral diseases, COVID-19 reinfections are being reported, which makes it difficult to predict until how long can a course of the vaccine protect us. 

Ultimately for the virus to mutate, it still needs to spread and multiply. Curbing transmission is probably our best bet, along with mass immunisation. It will be years before the novel coronavirus is fully understood. Until then, we can only hope to contain it, by following proper precautions, raising awareness and listening to the experts.