Vaccines are key to saving lives

ST:There is much concern among people that over 6% of those who have died of COVID-19 have been fully vaccinated. Why and how, when we keep pushing the message that vaccination prevents severe disease and death?

Dr. Singh:This point needs to be understood carefully. WHO approved vaccines are the best option for protection against severe illness and hospitalization. Vaccines provide significant protection against all variants of the COVID-19 virus including the highly transmissible Delta variant.

However, two key factors impact protection provided by vaccination. First, maximum immunity is reached only after a couple of weeks after the second dose. Second, this immune response depends on the strength of the individual’s immune system. A compromised immune system will not have the same response as a healthy one and may remain at risk to severe illness and death even after vaccination.

The critical fact here is that among the fully vaccinated, the proportions of COVID-19 infected people that have recovered, in spite of comorbidities, are much higher than the proportions that succumbed to the disease. Vaccines increase the chances of surviving COVID-19 even with comorbidities.

Every life lost due to COVID19 is one too many. Vaccines are key to saving lives.Their benefits outweigh the risks, significantly and substantially.