With frequent new information, studies and social media chatter about COVID-19, it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Dr. Steven Jacobson, medical director at Premera, answered common questions on what we currently know about the Delta variant, vaccines and the future going forward.
Q: How likely is it to catch the Delta variant if you’ve been vaccinated?
Dr. Jacobson: There is a really good study that’s on the CDC website. It just came out fairly recently. It looks at healthcare workers who have been vaccinated, and they show that the vaccine is about 90% effective, in the current situation with our current Delta variant out there, for preventing active COVID infection. The good news is, if you do get an infection, it’s a far milder case with the vaccines as well.
Q: How likely is it that you can carry/spread COVID if you’ve been vaccinated?
Dr. Jacobson: The Delta variant is a nasty virus. It’s two to three times more contagious than the original virus. That’s a significant difference. The vaccines are very effective. They reduce any chance of getting it in the first place by about 90%. The period you’re contagious for is also significantly less.
Q: How likely are you to go to the hospital if you’ve been vaccinated?
Dr. Jacobson: About 80 to 98% of the people who get hospitalized for COVID are not vaccinated. There’s a few [vaccinated] people that end up hospitalized, but even among that group, the likelihood of ending up in an intensive care unit or on a ventilator is far less as well.
Q: What about kid hospitalizations and vaccinations?
Dr. Jacobson: There has been an increase. Looking at the CDC website, about 8% of nationwide hospitalizations are children (people under age 18). That’s an increase from what it was earlier in this pandemic, but it’s still a fairly modest amount. Fortunately, for the most part, children don’t get as sick as adults do. Currently, you can get the vaccine down to age 12. There are studies going on right now looking at younger age groups, down to age 5 or even down to age 2. Those may be approved later this year, but it’s yet to be determined when that younger age group would be eligible for the vaccine.
Q: What should parents with kids under the vaccination age be considering for the upcoming school year?
Dr. Jacobson: First, for all parents: if they haven’t been vaccinated, I really encourage them to consider getting vaccinated themselves because that can make a big difference. Or, if there’s other children in the household age 12 and up, I’d encourage all of those household members to get vaccinated. The other things you’ve probably heard about already, if you’re going to be in a tight space, mask up, use good hand hygiene, practice social distancing, avoid crowded locations and be smart. The school districts are putting a lot of time and energy into trying to make the schools as safe as possible for our kids, and we sure want to get them back to school as well.
Q: Do we think there will be further, worse variants after Delta?
Dr. Jacobson: There probably will be more variants coming our way. Fortunately, our current vaccines work really well against this Delta variant. Other parts of the world are seeing some other variants. I think with the current vaccine technology, they are able to pivot pretty quickly. Just like the annual flu vaccine, they’re able to shift that from year to year. We’re not quite there yet, but I could see that coming our direction.
To learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations, visit the Premera website.
The CDC has stated that all COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) have been proven safe, effective and reduce an individual's risk of severe illness after undergoing thorough testing. It is recommended that everyone over the age of 12 receive the vaccine, which is now widely available. For more information, visit the CDC website.
Sponsored by Premera. Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.