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This is not a surprise. The fact that this, and how the vaccine works, has been communicated so poorly to the public, however, is a disgrace. Here's a quick "Explain it like I'm 5"
/1 https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1334663233383358470
/1 https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1334663233383358470
The vaccines were ALL test for one thing: how well does this keep people from getting sick/dying of COVID-19. For the Pfizer and Moderna studies, this meant how well does it keep the person from having a positive test AND symptoms. 2/
Think of it like wearing gloves. The vaccine is preventing you from getting dirt and gunk on your hands. At the end of the day, your hands are clean inside the protective gloves. BUT, the gloves can still have dirt on them. 3/
The coronavirus seems to mostly get in through mucus membranes (nose, mouth, lungs, eyes) but the vaccine, ideally, creates antibodies in the blood. This means that if you're exposed to the virus, you don't get sick, but you may still have it in your nose, mouth, & lungs. 4/
You're less likely to be coughing (because you're not sick) but if you DO cough or sneeze on someone else, you could still spread the virus. Just like if you're wearing gloves, you can still spread dirt. 5/
This is how vaccines generally work, and if enough people get vaccinated the risk of being exposed goes down, so the risk of getting sick AND the risk of spreading it without being sick goes down. 6/
A vaccine is NOT a "get out of jail free" card for a pandemic. We so have to wear masks, distance, wash our hands, and avoid touching our faces.
With no vaccine, if everyone got COVID, about 6 million people in the US would die. 7/
With no vaccine, if everyone got COVID, about 6 million people in the US would die. 7/
With a vaccine 90% effective in preventing symptoms/mortality, if everyone got COVID, 600k people would die in the USA. That's A LOT OF PEOPLE!!!
The hope is that a 90% effective vaccine, combined with our other efforts, prevents the virus from being able to spread at all. 8/
The hope is that a 90% effective vaccine, combined with our other efforts, prevents the virus from being able to spread at all. 8/
These vaccines are VERY GOOD NEWS. You can bet my family and I will be vaccinated as soon as it's our turn (we're comparatively low risk). BUT, these vaccines do NOT mean you can go party and then cough on grandma. We still need be smart.
Let me know if you have questions. Fin/
Let me know if you have questions. Fin/
