Masks or vaccines keeping us safe?

Q. “I have been wondering how efficacy is determined. What does 97% efficacy mean? In trials, did they expose vaccinated people to COVID-19, and

97% did not get it? (Cannot imagine.) Everyone I know who is vaccinated—including myself— continues to follow the safety protocols that kept us from getting COVID-19 in the first place, before the vaccine. How do we know that this is not what is keeping us safe?” — Barbara Witte

A. We are all wondering why we still have to wear masks and stay away from most people after we are vaccinated.

I asked Dr.

Chad Sanborn, an infectious disease specialist in West Palm

Beach, to take a stab at this complicated question.

First, he said a vaccine efficacy of 97% means that if exposed to the virus, you are 97% less likely to acquire infection if you are vaccinated compared to someone who was not. The Pfizer trials, for example, had an efficacy of 95%. Pfizer gave vaccines to about 20,000 people and placebo to 20,000 people; neither group knew which they were getting. In the vaccine group, eight came down with symptomatic COVID19 vs. 162 in the placebo group, for an efficacy of 95%. For statistical geeks, the mathematical equation is (162/20,000 - 8/20,000)/

(162/20,000) = 0.95 = 95%.

As for the masks, Sanborn said he sees them as an extra layer of protection after an individual gets a vaccine but before enough people are injected to end the pandemic.

“A vaccinated person who adheres to protocols is extra protected, and by everyone continuing to adhere to protocols (i.e. “buying time”) until we get enough people in the community vaccinated, we will be able to end the pandemic,” Sanborn said. “Most likely you and your acquaintances’ adherence to protocols is what is keeping you safe — you cannot get the virus you are never exposed to. However, despite our best efforts, 100% adherence is quite difficult and more time in public when there is a virus going around means more possible exposure. Given enough time

and exposure, the virus will likely infect even the most adherent as we do see many people adhering to these protocols as best they can and are still getting infected.”

Q. “Why is it that aviation workers aren’t prioritized for the COVID vaccine? We flight attendants are considered first responders because if someone is having a heart attack inflight, then we’re the ones who give them CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. We’re exposed to bodily fluids and we interact with hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers a day.” — Zyra, Orange City

A. Airline and airport workers have been pushing since December to become a vaccine priority group but have had little success competing with the many other groups that have sought to get the shots first.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes transportation workers as essential employees, but put health care workers, firefighters and police officers, corrections workers, food and agricultural workers, postal and manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and educators ahead of them. In either case, Florida has not made essential workers a priority group, instead allowing health care staff, the medically vulnerable and age categories to be given priority.

If you don’t fit in to any of these classifications, don’t despair. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on March 25 that Florida will open the vaccine to people 40 years and up starting March 29 and then to all adults on April 5.

Q. “0My daughter and her husband are coming down on May 1 to stay here with us for May and June (we are permanent Florida residents and vaccinated) until they can find a place to live in Florida. Her husband is vaccinated, and she isn’t and wants to. She has no conditions, but since she will be here with us she wants to get shots. Can she get one if she is not a Florida resident?” — Laraine, Bradenton

A. At the moment, she doesn’t meet the Florida age requirement (you have to be 50 or older), so that’s the first strike against her. She also doesn’t meet the Florida residency requirement, which requires two proofs such as a utility bill or a bank statement if she doesn’t have a Florida driver’s license.

In the coming weeks, the age requirement will likely be lowered. And you could vouch for her for one of the two proofs required by the state, which allows you to show “proof of residential address from the seasonal resident’s parent, step-parent, legal guardian or other person with whom the seasonal resident resides and a statement from the person with whom the seasonal resident resides stating that the seasonal resident does reside with him or her.” But your daughter would still need a second verification of Florida address, such as a bill in her name that’s less than two months old or a rental agreement.

Q. “Though I had the coronavirus shot in January, should the five family members that do not want the shot ride with me so close for six hours in the car to Georgia? Is it possible for me and family members to get exposed to the virus since we will all be so close in the car and in the hotel in Savannah for a week?” — Margaret Darby

A. This trip is not a good idea, said Dr. Andrea Klemes, chief medical officer at MDVIP, a national physicians’ network with headquarters in Boca Raton.

“Spending six hours in a car with five other family members who are not vaccinated, and where safe social distancing isn’t possible, is risky,” Klemes said. “If one of the family members were infected, there is a high chance he or she would pass it to everyone else in those close quarters for that many hours. If you are fully vaccinated, you have a much lower risk of contracting the virus and a very low risk of getting severely ill or being hospitalized.”

Q. “How many doses does Florida have right now, because I am eligible but cannot get an appointment. Anywhere.” — Virginia Carmack, West Palm Beach

A. This week may be your lucky week. Florida will receive 542,850 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government, an increase from 492,270 doses last week.

South Florida is getting

127,160 doses. If you’re looking for a shot in Palm Beach County, there will be 12,380 doses available, up from 9,040 the previous week. Broward will get

50,180 (up from 48,080 the week before) and MiamiDade, 64,600 (up from

51,780).

The largest allotments in South Florida are destined for distribution sites at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami-Dade County, Cleveland Clinic Florida in Broward County, and the health department in Palm Beach County.

Statewide, Publix pharmacies will receive 55,000 of the state’s Moderna doses to distribute to its pharmacies and CVS will receive 50,310 Pfizer doses.

Things are looking up. Go to sun-sentinel.com/ coronavirus for a daily update on where to find a vaccine, and hopefully you’ll be able to get one this week.