We all remember that day, 30th January 2020, WHO( World Health Organization) declared the Covid-19 outbreak as a health crisis. Since then the world has suffered in more ways imaginable.
From death, severe health issues, unemployment, and economic downfall; to isolation, lack of regular supplies, and a complete disruption of the normal life as we know it. Among all the struggles, the world found its way to remain functional, with the hope of recovering with the discovery of the vaccine.
By December 2020 FDA(Food and Drug Administration) approved the first Covid-10 Vaccine, namely, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S., and eventually, other countries including China, Russia, and India started developing and exporting vaccines to curb the pace of the pandemic.
As the vaccinations started, we had all hoped to see an end to this suffocating and isolating situation. But every time it started to feel normal again, a new wave or variants flushed out the public hope. But now people are beyond their patience. They have started to ask questions and the right ones indeed.
- How long will Covid-19 last?
- Will there be another Covid-19 wave?
- Why are fully-vaccinated people catching Covid?
- Why do I need a booster if I am double vaccinated?
- If I need a booster after vaccination, are the vaccines actually working?
- If a pandemic is supposed to last two years, why are people still getting infected?
And the list goes on…
DDC OR Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did clarify the requirement of the booster dose stating that the previous doses were in order, to reduce the fatality of the virus. In other words, the first two doses of the vaccine will prevent deaths, but the chance of infection still prevails.
Also with the new variants like delta and omicron, it seemed that a third booster dose was the only way out. But even after a booster and a second booster dose, Covid-19 infection rates are surging in various countries. Why is that?
Well, the most befitting answer we could find was this: since the Covid-19 vaccine is constantly mutating, and scientists are constantly discovering new variants, it is rather unlikely to develop herd immunity through vaccination or previous infections. The new strains that are being found can partially escape the immunity provided by vaccination.
Most experts believe that Covid-19 is effectively now an endemic which means it will continue to circulate and cause outbreaks in different parts of the world with a gradual decline in the level of danger it poses right now.
Even though the development of the vaccine within the first year of the pandemic was remarkable and had prompted us to believe that we can all go back to normal, it might not just be the right time to take off your masks.
It is undeniable that the vaccines have not been as effective as we had once hoped. Initially, we were assured that the immunity would last around a year, whereas now, it has come down to 3-4 months. But does that mean vaccinations are useless?
Well, we have one certain answer for you, do your own research and do what’s best for you and your family.
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