Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lost much of its credibility during the Covid-19 pandemic, delaying or misplacing tests, masks, vaccine allocation and reopening of the school. Remaining consistent with this pattern, this week – three months after the vaccine was launched – the CDC finally began telling vaccinated people that they could have normal interactions with other vaccinated people – but only in very limited circumstances. Given the impressive efficacy of the vaccine, this should have been immediately apparent through the application of scientific inference and common sense.
Some of the new guidelines are absurdly restrictive. For example, the CDC did not withdraw its advice to avoid air travel after vaccination. One year of experience in prevaccination has shown that airplanes are not a source of spread. A study conducted for the defense department found that commercial aircraft have HEPA filtration and airflow that exceed the standards of a hospital operating room.
The guidelines approve meeting vaccinated people with low-risk unvaccinated people – but only with people from the same household and in a small private setting. Both for restaurants, birthday parties and weddings.
An unpublished study by the Israeli Ministry of Health and Pfizer showed that vaccination reduced transmission by 89% to 94% and almost completely prevented hospitalization and death, according to press reports. Immunity begins completely about four weeks after the first dose of vaccine and then you are essentially bulletproof. With the added certainty of wearing a mask indoors for a few more weeks or months – a practical necessity in public places, even if not a medical one, because it is not obvious whether someone is immune – there are few vaccinated people. discouraged to do.
On a positive note, the CDC said fully vaccinated people who are asymptomatic should not be tested. But that obvious recommendation should have come two months ago, before losing so many tests to people with high levels of circulating antibodies in vaccination.