Dr. Stephanie Silvera Comments on What it Means to be Fully Vaccinated
Posted in: College News and Events, Public Health
It’s a day we’re all looking forward to: being protected from the virus after being vaccinated.
The idea of being free of risk from the virus – going to restaurants without fear, shopping without a mask, having family over for a meal or celebrating a milestone or holiday – is the brass ring in this pandemic.
Dr. Stephanie Silvera, Professor in the Public Health Department, recently commented on what it means to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for NJ.com. She noted that the key to being able to ultimately change our behavior is protecting a large percentage of the population through vaccination. Widespread vaccination will reduce the number of people who become infected and not permit the virus to reproduce and continue to spread.
Although vaccines usually prevent transmission, that was not confirmed in the clinical trials of the vaccines, said Dr. Silvera.
She added, “Viruses need hosts to continue to reproduce. If we reduce the number of possible hosts through vaccination, we can then prevent the transmission and resume activities that were put in place to counter the spread of this virus.”