I wake up in the late hours of sleep, as many others often do as well, with thoughts whirling in my head. My kids, practice, patients, life, health, home projects, did I completely close the fridge… This last night it was that I hadn’t actually answered the question I posed in the previous day’s blog (and I was also thinking of a sick patient).
If the vaccine is not as effective against the Omicron variant, why take it?
To that question, you could also add:
Why take it if you can still get sick and still infect others?
In a nutshell, it’s all about not getting sick, avoiding complications and slowing down this virus allowing our healthcare system to keep up and minimize the disease burden people experience now, and in the future as well as minimize death.
Although in most, this virus and its various permutations cause little to no symptoms, but not in all. Many still get really sick and miss work and school. Some become hospitalized and some die. Some also experience long-term, and for someone, likely permanent disabilities.
If you can avoid it, you do not want to catch this virus.
As far as it’s efficacy is concerned, yes the vaccines are less effective against the Omicron strain but it is still very effective.
- 60-80% effective against contracting covid at all
- 90% effective against hospitalization and even more against death, especially if boosted.
- Very effective against significant symptoms.
- Lowers the duration and degree of contagiousness.
And keep in mind that we are in better shape than those who can only get China’s Sinovac or Russia’s Sputnik vaccines, which are only 30% effective against Omicron.
As mentioned in yesterday’s post, all the other variants, against which the vaccines are even more effective, are still present in our communities and the vaccines are even more effective against those.
We are approaching 10 billion vaccine doses worldwide and there is ample safety and efficacy data out there.
So, please get vaccinated. They are effective and safe but they are not perfect so keep doing all those other things we know protect us and everyone else.
Stay safe and be well.
AC