Despite the COVID-19 vaccine, you will still need to wear a mask, warns San Antonio doctor

SAN ANTONIO – On the first day of the COVID-19 vaccine, San Antonio medical teams received 5,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

UT Health San Antonio was the first to receive the shipments and will reportedly have about 30,000 doses by the end of the week.

While it’s exciting news, Dr. Fred Campbell of UT Health in San Antonio said he is concerned that people will see the vaccine arrive and that safety protocols, such as the use of masks and social distancing.

“It will be at least six months before we can make sure the transmission of this virus is reduced,” Campbell said.

Campbell has not only studied vaccines. He is also involved in one of the current studies on vaccines.

“Until it is shown that people have immunity after vaccination, they can transmit the virus to anyone else,” he said.

Campbell and experts around the world said the effectiveness of vaccines depends solely on everyone getting it as soon as they are allowed to receive it.

“The greater the number of people hesitating to get the vaccine, the longer it will be, until we have what is considered herd immunity, when infection incidents fall sharply,” Campbell said.

When asked if he feels with 100% confidence that people should receive the vaccine as soon as they are allowed, Campbell replied, “Researchers and people who do the approval process for these vaccines they are one of the most ethical people I know, so I have a lot of confidence. “

However, as first aid and vulnerable populations become first vaccinated, the wait will be longer for the rest of the population.

Campbell said as cases continue to rise across the country, people need to be patient and continue to do proven things to stop the spread: wearing masks, distancing themselves socially and washing their hands.