(L-r) Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, UCSF/ SF General Hospital; Dr. Tiffani Jenae Johnson, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician, UC Davis Children’s Hospital; Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist, Global Health Research Complex at Texas A&M University; Dr. Dali Fan, Clinical Professor, UC Davis Health Science

TL; DR 

The current situation regarding vaccinations and its race with the Delta variant can be summed up by a message from Dr. Ben Neuman, “We’re trying to switch off a fire hose here, which is the number of new cases that are coming out and vaccinating the unvaccinated is the way to do that. When we talk about breakthroughs, we’re cleaning up drips off the floor. Those are very important on an individual level but they’re not a reason not to vaccinate. Vaccination still looks like our only real way out of this.”

When the vaccines were distributed to the public earlier this year, there was a ray of hope. Finally, we will return to our normal lives after a tumultuous start to this decade. Now that the vaccines are widely available, we face a “mixed-bag” of citizens in America – the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Dragging the pandemic on, unvaccinated communities see higher transmission of COVID-19 delta variant, and the only way out of this pandemic is getting everyone vaccinated.

In a press briefing, experts point out the importance of getting the unvaccinated vaccinated and being mindful of some of the challenges communities face. Experts include Dr. Monica Gandhi, Professor of Medicine, UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine; Dr. Tiffani Jenae Johnson, UC Davis Health Children’s Hospital; Dr. Ben Neuman, chief virologist, Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University; and Dr. Dali Fan, UC Davis Health.

Are the vaccines effective?

All experts unanimously agree that the vaccine is safe and effective. By keeping people from hospitalizations and deaths, the vaccines are doing what they’re supposed to do. According to Dr. Gandhi, “This is an amazingly effective vaccine at preventing severe disease, hospitalizations, and deaths. That was actually the promise of the vaccines. I think it’s important to still say that the vaccines work.”

Dr. Ben Neuman points out that many studies prove that the vaccine works. Sharing some statistics, Dr. Neuman remarks, “At a population level, an 80 to 90 percent effective vaccine is an absolute godsend, which would be extremely effective attending a disease like Covid-19.” Studies show that two-shots mRNA vaccines tend to be more effective than single-shot adenovirus vaccines. The difference, however, is a negligible 7% as Dr. Neuman says he would be comfortable with his family members receiving either vaccine.

Another optimistic statistic: UK and Israel studies conclude that 80 to 90 percent of fully vaccinated individuals wouldn’t be affected by the virus and wouldn’t transmit the virus.

Do we need booster shots?

The Delta variant is highly transmissible, and we see a rise in breakthrough infections amongst the vaccinated. The majority of COVID patients stem from the unvaccinated.

Dr. Fan asserts that booster shots would be unnecessary at this point. Dr. Fan points out that necessary data backing the need for booster shots would be required for FDA approval of the use of booster shots. The data must conclude that the current vaccines render ineffective due to increased health complications amongst the vaccinated.

Dr. Fan reiterated the only way to tackle this pandemic is to get everyone vaccinated first before we discuss booster shots.

Why unvaccinated?

Dr. Johnson asserted that many aren’t vaccinated due to barriers in the healthcare system. She believes it’s unfair to blame the spread on the unvaccinated citing the fact that the vaccines aren’t safe for everyone and not approved for kids under 12. A sobering statistic: 4 million kids have tested positive for Covid-19 at this point.

Dr. Johnson also highlights misinformation, mistrust, and transportation barriers. She explains that when the closest vaccine clinic is five miles away and the only way there is by foot, that is already a strong enough barrier discouraging communities of color from getting vaccinated. She also points out the systemic racism in America creating a sense of mistrust between communities of color and the government. She alludes to a relationship where someone cheats on their significant other and then apologizes the next day. “We’ve been cheating on these communities for years and abusing them for years and now we’re like: ‘Hey baby, I’m sorry, I love you,’ and we expect them to trust us. But we need to earn that trust and build that trust. And it’s not going to happen overnight.”

Dr. Johnson highlights one of the largest barriers: income disparity. Low-income communities who work on hourly wages can’t afford to miss days off work. This limits them from getting the vaccine because they have their financial struggles.

The Gen-Z Take

Gen-Z understands the importance of getting vaccinated and following safety protocols – masking. All we ask: please have some sense and please get vaccinated. We also ask that everyone follow what the experts are saying – follow safety protocols for the sake of public health and our future. Gen-Z is tired of this pandemic and would like to return to normal. A word to those parents who are still skeptical – do it for your own good and for the good of your kids.