While these events mark a historic moment and have many promises, that doesn’t mean Americans can stop wearing masks at any time. CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, explains why.
CNN: Does the vaccine protect people against COVID-19? If so, how come I still have to wear a mask?
Wen: That’s a good question. It is important to be clear about what we know and what we do not know about what the vaccine does. What we do know is that the Pfizer vaccine is very effective in preventing symptomatic illnesses and serious illnesses. This means that the vaccine seems to prevent people from getting sick enough to develop symptoms and, very importantly, prevents people from getting so serious that they end up in the hospital. This is great news.
This is what the studies do not yet show. They have not analyzed whether the vaccine prevents anyone from transporting COVID-19 and spreading it to others. It is possible for someone to get the vaccine, but it can be an asymptomatic carrier. They may have no symptoms, but they have the virus in their nasal passage, so if they talk, breathe, sneeze, etc., they can pass it on to others.
This is the main reason why we cannot stop wearing masks right after getting the vaccine. The vaccine will protect you from getting sick and ending up in hospital. But you may be able to carry the virus and infect others. Therefore, those who receive the vaccine should wear masks and practice physical distancing.
RELATED: US takes a look at the coronavirus variant that triggers alarms in the UK, says Fauci
CNN: Does that mean we’ll have to wear masks in public from now on?
Wen: No, not forever, but for a while longer. It is estimated that about 70% of Americans should be vaccinated before reaching herd immunity through vaccination. This is the point where there are enough people with immune protection to keep the virus from spreading further.
That means about 230 million Americans should get the vaccine. It will take time to produce many vaccines, and remember that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are two-dose vaccines, so you need twice as many doses as people. The vaccine must then be distributed and actually administered to people. If all goes well, the best estimates are that it will be late spring or early summer for most Americans to get the vaccine. At this point, we could probably see each other without masks, but not before.
CNN: Can this timeline be accelerated?
Wen: The development of the vaccine has already advanced with incredible speed. The fastest time a vaccine was developed before this pandemic was four years old. We now have an authorized vaccine in less than a year.
The speed with which we achieve herd immunity will depend on the production, distribution, and willingness of the American people to get the vaccine. There is concern that many Americans will not be able to get the vaccine even if it is available. We need to have a public education campaign designed and adapted to different communities.
And we need everyone’s help! When it comes to you, get the vaccine. Help spread the word and convince your family and friends about the importance of the vaccine to save lives and end this pandemic.
SEE ALSO: Find out how many people can get a COVID-19 vaccine before you
Interactive not displayed correctly? Click here to open in a new window.
CNN: What about people who can’t get the vaccine? Do they need to continue wearing masks?
Wen: For now, everyone should keep wearing masks. There will be a small number of individuals who cannot be vaccinated. At first, children will not be able to get vaccinated because they have not yet been tested in children. There may also be some medical conditions that make certain people unable to get the vaccine or the vaccine is less effective for them. That is why the rest of us must be vaccinated, to protect them. Herd immunity is also called community immunity: the community is vaccinated to protect everyone.
That’s why we also continue to wear masks. We do it to protect ourselves and others. Remember that even after getting the vaccine, we can spread the virus to other people. In addition, the vaccine is very effective, but not 100%. The mask still protects you.
CNN: Would you still wear a mask after getting the vaccine?
Wen: Yes. I will do this to protect others and also to protect myself. Here’s another way to think about the importance of wearing masks. The vaccine protects you if the virus reaches your nose and mouth. Your body detects the virus and, instead of attacking it, the immune system enters and is eliminated.
It is very important to prevent the virus from reaching your body in the first place. Wearing a mask does. So does physical distancing. These are really important measures to prevent coronavirus and transmission to other people.
You will no doubt see the use of masks among health workers, who will be among the first groups to get the vaccine. The vaccine is an important layer of protection for us, but we will use these other measures to protect ourselves and those around us.
CNN: With the number of COVID cases at an all-time high in the United States, the vaccine couldn’t come a moment too soon. Although, with only a small percentage of the U.S. population receiving the vaccine, it looks like most people won’t directly enjoy the benefits of this first release, right?
Wen: Absolutely. It’s really amazing that we have a vaccine that seems to be 95% effective and very safe. We can end the pandemic. But that will take time. The initial allocation of vaccines will reach just over 1% of the population. It will take a while to increase to 70%.
We need everyone to continue to follow the precautions we’ve been talking about all along: wear a mask. Maintain physical distance. Avoid indoor meetings. Wash your hands.
I’ll add one more: get the vaccine when it’s your turn. We can have it this winter, and spring and summer have so many promises.
The-CNN-Wire © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia company. All rights reserved.
The video from the previous media player was used in a previous report.