My 8 yo daughter is learning about science by participating in the Moderna blind clinical trials

28k Upvotes

72% Upvoted

[removed]

14

u/pilotavery Aug 12 '21

So that kids don't get it and spread it

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u/RJay2K Aug 12 '21

You can still contract covid and spread while vaccinated.

21

u/pilotavery Aug 12 '21

Yes, but it is much less likely, and critical mass/herd immunity is based off of percentages.

6

u/IamGlennBeck Aug 12 '21

https://www.politico.eu/article/herd-immunity-not-a-possibility-with-delta-variant/

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u/myheartisstillracing Aug 12 '21

Some important quotes from that article:

"Pollard said that vaccines may slow the process of transmission, with data indicating that people who are vaccinated and test positive seem to be shedding the virus for a slightly shorter period of time. However, given the circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant vaccination wouldn’t stop spread altogether."

"Pollard explained that one of the strongest arguments for vaccinating children is to protect adults. However, he said that vaccinating children wouldn’t completely stop transmission and that there was an urgent need to ensure adults are vaccinated the world over."

So, yes, we should not have our hearts set on "herd immunity" as a magic bullet fix-it. However, high vaccination rates are still a worthwhile goal.

6

u/IamGlennBeck Aug 12 '21

Agreed

3

u/NessaSola Aug 12 '21

Also, there are a ton of other factors that go into R0. Even if ideal herd immunity can't be caused by bringing vaccination rates up, you can achieve herd immunity and halt the spread by, say, using vaccines + some simple distancing policies.

0

u/myheartisstillracing Aug 12 '21

Yes, vaccines should be looked at as a powerful tool that needs to be part of a comprehensive strategy rather than a magic bullet on their own.