Thought of the Day - February 23 - Second Shot

With vaccines once again flowing to Canada, bolstered by the six-not-five doses of Pfizer per vial, Canada is expecting more than 640,000 doses to arrive this week ( Thought of the Day - February 15 - Vaccine Wars - It's a Madhouse ). Thus more Canadians are now receiving their second shot.

A friend, who reported last month on her experience getting vaccinated here in Vancouver, ( Thought of the Day - January 12 - Getting Vaccinated ) just received a second shot this weekend: "Just had the 2nd jab. Am now in the car line up waiting for 15 mins. Just saw the handwritten sign that says "Please flash your lights if you feel unwell or need help". Sound like the centre is ramping up for more volume and this has moved away from the inside chairs.

But the vaccines are now giving authorities a new problem. The public is asking: What happens after your second shot, can you return to "normal" life?

The US has now fully vaccinated the equivalent of half of the entire population of Canada, and the infamous Dr. Fauci, chief medical advisor to the US President, was asked a simple question: "My parents have already gotten their second dose. They are fully vaccinated. Does that mean it's okay for them to spend time with their grandchildren? What is your recommendation?"

The response: "I don't want to make recommendations. We are looking at the data every day. Recommendations will be coming out."

Unfortunately, I think this will be the answer for some time to come. While we now know that the vaccines decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 I am not sure anyone knows their effect on transmission, infectivity and, ultimately, "Herd Immunity" and the elimination of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Cheers

Cliff