Getting a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine reduces your risk of infection by 90%

The study evaluated health data from 3,975 healthcare workers, first responders, frontline workers and essential workers.

The participants, who were more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 due to the nature of their work, took weekly SARS-CoV-2 tests for 17 weeks.

Diagnostic testing was done via self-collected nasal swabs which were then tested in a lab for SARS-CoV-2. Positive tests were studied further to determine how much viral load is in a person’s nose and how long they are shedding the virus.

Researchers assessed the data based on participants’ immunization status, the local rate of COVID-19 in their communities, and the severity with which participants used personal protective equipment (PPE).

They found that vaccines reduced the risk of infection by 91% in people who were fully vaccinated, which means 2 weeks after their second dose. The vaccines reduced the risk by 81% in partially vaccinated people. “Partially vaccinated” can mean from 14 days after their first dose to 13 days after their second dose.

The researchers also found that fully and partially vaccinated people who still developed COVID-19 were more likely to have milder illnesses than those who were not vaccinated.

On average, vaccinated people who contracted COVID-19 spent about 6 days less feeling sick and 2 days less in bed. Compared with unvaccinated people, those who received one or both doses of the vaccine were also up to 66% less likely to develop symptoms such as fever and chills.

Other studies have shown that vaccinated people who contract the coronavirus have lower viral loads. As a result, they are less likely to pass the virus on to other people.

Researchers are still working to understand how viral load correlates with infectivity, but evidence from chickenpox and influenza suggests lower viral loads are likely linked to reduced spread of infection.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing that mRNA injections are both safe and effective.

“Given what we already know from previous studies, these data are not surprising. These vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective in preventing infection with COVID-19, ”said Dr. Annabelle from St. Maurice, assistant professor of pediatrics and co-chief of infection prevention at UCLA Health.

According to de St. Maurice, it should be noted that the participants included in the study may differ from the general population “in terms of health, comorbidities and immune status”.

MRNA vaccines teach our immune system to make a protein or even just a piece of a protein which then triggers the immune system. Once the immune system is triggered, it is better prepared to attack the coronavirus and prevent an infection from developing.

Choosing the right antigen (piece of the virus that the vaccine will help our bodies identify and attack) is crucial for the vaccine’s success, Yildirim explained.

“The spike protein which is the common target of the two available mRNA vaccines has been studied from MERS and is a very good trigger for the immune system to activate and produce neutralizing antibodies,” Yildirim explained.

“Although we have seen some mutations with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19), scientists still find that the vaccines are very effective,” said de St. Maurice.

Researchers will need to continue to study the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in the months and years to come.

According to Yildirim, while we have a lot of data showing that the shots are safe and effective, it’s important to remember that we didn’t even know about SARS-CoV-2 until the end of December 2019.

“We are still learning how long the protection against natural infection or vaccination will last,” Yildirim said.

This information will help inform future vaccination campaigns and tell us if we will need boosters.

From now on, the takeaway is clear: The safest and most effective way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

“These vaccines are safe and very effective. As we see more of a return to normalcy and the opening of social gatherings and other activities this summer and fall, it will be increasingly important for people to get vaccinated, ”said de St. Maurice.

New research from the CDC has found that messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines used against the coronavirus reduce the risk of infection by 91% in fully vaccinated people and 81% in partially vaccinated people.

The injections also reduce the severity of illness in vaccinated people who receive COVID-19, compared to unvaccinated people. Researchers will need to continue studying the injections in the months and years to come to understand their durability and whether we may need booster shots.