COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing serious illness due to the virus in those who have received them, according to medical experts.
While the research on transmission rates and susceptibility among those already vaccinated against COVID-19 is ongoing, medical professionals and health officials advise that all Americans receive a vaccine once they become eligible in order to help reduce the spread of the virus.
Health officials and professionals have consistently encouraged people to get vaccinated in order to reduce infection rates. Recent studies suggest that vaccination can help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson’s criticism on Thursday of US efforts to achieve widespread vaccination are inconsistent with guidance from health officials, according to AP.
Herd immunity occurs when enough people have been vaccinated or have immunity from natural infection that the virus can’t easily spread and the pandemic fizzles out. Nobody knows for sure what the herd immunity threshold is for the coronavirus, but many experts say it’s 70 percent or higher. And the emergence of variants is further complicating the picture.
A growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. However, further investigation is ongoing.