Vaccines don't protect against the spread of the disease?

I am hearing repeatedly the misinformation that the COVID vaccines don't protect against the spread of COVID.  What if this is true?  My response to things like this is to try to find as much information as possible.

After looking at a number of sources, I conclude that it is all relative.  If you are vaccinated then you are less likely to catch the disease and spread it, but this is less effective against the Delta variant.  Still, you have about 75% protection against the Delta variant, but this could wane after 3 months.  Against the Omicron Variant, you can get pretty good protection with a booster, but two vaccinations might not be enough.  This protection might also wane in 3 months, 

However, vaccinations give longer-lasting protection against severe disease.  Being vaccinated is much better off than not being vaccinated.

Personally, I would be happy to get a booster every three months or get the new vaccine for the Omicron variant.

You are much more likely to be hospitalized if you are unvaccinated.  

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/verify/yes-most-patients-hospitalized-because-of-covid-19-are-unvaccinated-coronavirus-indiana/531-fa9fa91e-5f3e-4c85-8408-df81b9f1dede

Vaccines protect against the spread of COVID:
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/how-vaccines-reduce-transmission
https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/fully-vaccinated-less-likely-to-pass-covid-19-to-others/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/11/17/fact-check-covid-19-vaccines-protect-against-infection-transmission/6403678001/
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/vaccinated-people-can-transmit-the-coronavirus-but-its-still-more-likely-if-youre-unvaccinated
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/10/13/do-coronavirus-vaccines-prevent-transmission-of-the-virus
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/vaccinated-people-are-less-likely-spread-covid-new-research-finds-n1280583
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/mounting-evidence-suggests-covid-vaccines-do-reduce-transmission-how-does-work
https://theconversation.com/no-vaccinated-people-are-not-just-as-infectious-as-unvaccinated-people-if-they-get-covid-171302
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/dec/09/facebook-posts/no-covid-19-vaccines-do-not-increase-transmission-/
https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1112

Vaccines offer some protection against the spread of COVID:
https://fullfact.org/online/neil-oliver-vaccines-effect/

Vaccines help protect against the spread of the Delta Variant:
https://www.rivm.nl/en/news/vaccination-reduces-transmission-to-unvaccinated-household-members-by-63-for-delta-variant
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00690-3/fulltext
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/10/covid-vaccines-protect-against-delta-dont-fully-stop-disease-spread
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2294250-how-much-less-likely-are-you-to-spread-covid-19-if-youre-vaccinated/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-risk-of-vaccinated-covid-transmission-is-not-low/
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231557/covid-vaccines-effective-household-transmission-delta/
https://patient.info/news-and-features/does-being-vaccinated-against-covid-19-stop-you-getting-infected

Vaccines protect against the spread of the Delta variant but for only 3 months:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02689-y

Vaccines are 75% effective against the Delta Variant:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/delta-variant-vaccines-protect-from-severe-disease-but-do-not-stop-all-transmission
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/07/30/cdc-report-shows-vaccinated-people-can-spread-covid-19/

Breakthrough infections only occur in a small proportion of vaccinated people:
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-breakthrough-infection-transmission

Vaccines are safe and effective.  Less effective against variants:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/vaccines-faq 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html?s_cid=10466:should%20i%20vaccinate:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21
https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/6-myths-about-covid-19-vaccines-debunked

A large number of cases are among the unvaccinated:
https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2021-11-19/why-the-covid-19-vaccines-do-not-stop-the-virus-from-circulating.html

Vaccines do not prevent spread within households, but unvaccinated more likely:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/28/covid-vaccinated-likely-unjabbed-infect-cohabiters-study-suggests

Vaccinated people carry less infectious virus particles:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/11/vaccinated-spread-the-coronavirus/620650/
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/10/12/1044553048/covid-data-vaccines-breakthrough-infections-transmission

Boosters protect against Omicron:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59696499
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/by-the-numbers-covid-19-vaccines-and-omicron
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-cannot-escape-t-cells-boosters-protect-households-omicron-2021-12-29/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-booster-shots-can-help-protect-you-from-omicron
https://www.uchealth.org/today/booster-shots-protection-against-omicron/
https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a38461092/omicron-covid-variant-vaccine-booster-efficacy/
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/omicron-has-arrived-heres-what-we-know-so-far
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-effective-are-covid-19-vaccines-against-omicron
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/12/14/1063947940/vaccine-protection-vs-omicron-infection-may-drop-to-30-but-does-cut-severe-disea
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/vaccine-efficacy-data-shows-how-shots-protect-against-omicron-covid-variant/2716776/
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccines-that-protect-best-against-omicron-variant/85-aefef265-550a-4493-ab61-41158bad6f5a
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-mrna-booster-vaccine-offers-best-protection-against-omicron
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-booster-shots-can-help-protect-you-from-omicron
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20211220/moderna-booster-increases-protection-against-omicron
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/significant-increase-protection-vs-omicron-mrna-boosters-study-says-2021-12-22/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/20/moderna-booster-effective-against-omicron-study-shows-covid-19-news/8963500002/

Booster protection against Omicron wanes in 10 weeks but prevents severe disease.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/health/booster-protection-omicron.html
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232657/boosters-vital-mitigate-impact-omicron-lose/

Omicron Vaccine might be ready by March:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/omicron-variant-are-variant-specific-covid-vaccine-booster-rcna11598

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Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com