The Covid-19 vaccine is out and people have started to take it, but does this mean you still have to wear a mask? Marion Pepper, an immunologist says “everyone needs to keep wearing masks and we all need to do our part in reducing the transmission so it’s not going to be as difficult to control.”

Wearing a mask will protect you from getting this horrible virus and others from getting it as well. The pandemic has been going for almost a year now, so it shouldn’t be new information. Some research indicates that vaccination may reduce asymptomatic infection, therefore reducing transmission, but as said you should still keep your mask on. Even though you may have received the vaccine, you and others could still be vulnerable to the virus. 

The vaccine is a two-dose shot, but because the trials for kids under 12 have not yet began, only high-risk individuals will get it right now. Dr. Ríos, a researcher for the vaccine, said, “nothing’s going to change until we’re 100% sure that we’re not going to be spreading to others”.

Even if vaccinations do not completely prevent transmission, they can still help populations achieve herd immunity if enough people take them. If large segments of the population choose not to get the Covid-19 vaccine, it poses a problem. It’s obvious that everyone has their own view regarding vaccinations, but in this case, it’s different. The number of people who get covid-19 or pass from it could go down in number, but if someone still has the virus unknowingly and passes it from person to person, the pandemic could start again.

“Until we have broad-based vaccination and herd immunity, we should appreciate that it’s possible to still get exposed to the virus really from anybody whether they’re vaccinated or not.”