Many people are under the misconception that once they receive the COVID-19 vaccine they will no longer have to take the precautionary measures that have become standard practice. Although the development of the vaccine will help decrease the amount of COVID-19 cases, the need to continue wearing a mask and social distance remains critical to the safety of our country. Vaccines tend to give the public a false sense of security that nothing could happen to them or loved ones, but unfortunately that is not the case. In order to most effectively combat this pandemic, we must ensure that the general public gets vaccinated and continues wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks. Merlola Industries is committed to providing high-quality, American made PPE to help protect your health and the health of others.
Reasons To Continue Wearing A Mask After Vaccination
You Need Both Shots To Be Immune
Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines require two doses administered three weeks apart. Taking the first vaccine doesn’t give you instant immunity to the virus. In fact, the Pfizer vaccine is only 52% effective at preventing COVID-19 after the first dose. That’s why it’s imperative that we maintain safety guidelines such as wearing face masks and washing hands frequently even after getting the vaccine. The second shot, which is administered three weeks later, brings that percentage up to 95% effectiveness. Although this percentage is far better and can provide someone with favorable chances of not contracting the virus, it’s still not 100% effective and precautionary measures should always be taken.
We Don’t Know The Herd Immunity Threshold
Herd immunity occurs when a certain amount of the population is exposed to a virus, typically through vaccination, limiting the ability of the virus to spread within that population. The percentage of the population that requires immunization to achieve herd immunity varies by disease. For instance, 95% of the population needed to be vaccinated to create herd immunity for measles. When it comes to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet to establish the threshold to attain herd immunity. This gives further evidence to why wearing masks after getting vaccinated is so important. We still don’t understand how much of the population needs to be vaccinated or how long it will take to happen.
The Duration Of Vaccine Immunity Is Unknown
As vaccination campaigns are rolled out, we will begin to study and learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and how the spread of the virus is affected. However, the length of immunity after receiving both doses of the vaccine is still unknown. It’s too early to tell as vaccines have just become available to the public. However, the good news is that the immune system’s memory cells have persisted beyond six months in many patients infected with COVID-19. This gives us a better understanding on the duration of immunity, but this can still vary by person so it’s vital to continue wearing a face mask no matter what.
We’re Not Certain If Vaccines Prevent Transmission
In the clinical trials performed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, they did not track cases of asymptomatic infections with COVID-19. This means we don’t have clinical evidence that the vaccine prevents transmission of the virus. Just because you’re immune to getting sick from COVID-19 after receiving the vaccines, it does not necessarily mean that you can’t transmit the disease. Future studies will need to be done whether vaccination decreases transmission as the vaccine becomes more widespread to the public. Until then, we can’t re-evaluate the role of public health measures. Therefore, wearing masks will be of the utmost importance until we can fully determine the outcome of the vaccine as they help to catch the user’s droplets from spreading into the air.
Protection After Vaccination
As employees begin to get vaccinated in order to return to work, we must understand the measures that need to be taken to protect the workplace. All employees returning to work should wear masks regardless of whether they have received the vaccine or not. There may be employees who have only received the first vaccine, so ensuring that they stay protected and healthy is essential. In order to slowly return to normality and get people back to work, these safety measures must continue to be implemented. The roll out of the vaccine will greatly help Americans get back to the workplace, however, wearing masks, social distancing, and promoting good hygiene will all be an important part of the process.
PPE For The Fight Against Covid-19
The fight against COVID-19 cannot be won without a joint effort from everyone. It is every person’s responsibility to do their part by taking the right precautionary measures — whether they have gotten the vaccine or not — in order to protect themselves and others around them. At Merlola Industries, we recognize this responsibility and are doing our part by bringing the production of meltblown and PPE back to the USA to ensure the supply meets the demand, and that the highest standards of quality are always met. By working together and ensuring we use the proper personal protective equipment from a trusted source, we can move closer to a COVID-free world. Contact us today to learn more about our products and how we can provide you with the right PPE for your needs.
