Data show that vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19 and transmission is high.

Although COVID-19 zero is not a possibility, reducing deaths from COVID-19 to close to zero is possible with the COVID-19 vaccines. The research also indicates that the vaccines reduce transmission of COVID-19. So the news is excellent! 

The two images below provide summary tables compiled by Dr. Monica Gandhi MD, MPH and posted on Twitter (@MonicaGandhi9). These two table show that the answers to 2 common questions are YES!

Do the vaccines prevent death from COVID-19? Yes!

Do the vaccines prevent someone from getting COVID-19? No, not a mild case; but, yes from developing a severe case.

Do the vaccines reduce the chance of transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19? Yes! 

Figure 1: Effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19.

Figure 2: Effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 transmission. There are even more studies out now showing these great findings.

I do want to note that just because transmission is decreased and deaths are reduced to close to zero, the vaccines will not completely prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The vaccines are not going to achieve elimination of SARS-CoV-2 from circulation (like was achieved for small pox). They are achieving a massive reduction in lethality and transmission. Once sufficient people have received the vaccines, this means that COVID-19 won’t have to cause panic and fear, it can be considered like we react to the flu (serious but not cause for panic). 

I am very encouraged by these results. Our world will return to normal once most people globally have been vaccinated. But, the new normal will be a world with SARS-CoV-2 and so outbreaks of COVID-19 and cases of COVID-19 will still happen, just like cases of colds and flu continue to happen.

Cite as: N. R. Gough, Vaccine Effectiveness Against Severe COVID-19 and Transmission. BioSerendipity [7 April 2021]

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