The Critical Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination in Today's World
Written on
Understanding the Virus's Strategy
Imagine being a virus on a quest to find a host. Your goal is to invade and turn that host into a factory for producing more viruses. By exploiting the host’s resources, you can reproduce exponentially, spreading your progeny to new victims. Today, luck is on your side; a genetic mutation has made one of your variants even more potent. However, there's news that the host has developed a vaccine to combat your kind, but many are opting against getting vaccinated!
As the United States faces a surge in SARS-CoV-2 cases, there's a troubling rise in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities. According to NPR's report on July 16, “The seven-day average of new cases has surged by nearly 70% to almost 30,000 daily; hospitalizations have risen by 36%. Additionally, deaths from the virus are climbing steadily, reversing a months-long decline that began mid-January.”
The resurgence of COVID-19 is primarily driven by the highly contagious delta variant, which spreads more rapidly than earlier strains. This alarming trend has led to the reintroduction of mask mandates and social distancing measures. There's also a looming possibility that schools may revert to online learning as the virus spreads.
Fortunately, unlike last year, we now possess a transformative tool to combat this COVID-19 outbreak: vaccines. These vaccines provide substantial protection against infection and remarkable defense against hospitalization and mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that fewer than 0.004% of fully vaccinated individuals experience breakthrough hospitalizations, and less than 0.001% succumb to the disease. Yet, despite this overwhelming evidence of their safety and efficacy, vaccine uptake remains low.
As of August 1, only 49.5% of Americans were fully vaccinated. Consequently, the current outbreak predominantly affects those who have not yet sought vaccination. Over 97% of COVID-19 hospitalizations involve unvaccinated individuals, and 99.5% of deaths occur among this group. Intensive care units are once again filled with COVID-19 patients, particularly in states like Idaho and Missouri, where vaccination rates are low. This latest wave is also seeing a concerning number of young individuals being hospitalized.
The Role of Vaccination in Stopping Variants
Vaccination is our most effective method for preventing the spread of the delta variant. Beyond saving lives and alleviating suffering, vaccines have an additional, often overlooked benefit: they limit the number of hosts available for SARS-CoV-2, thereby reducing the chances for the virus to generate dangerous new variants.
Variants emerge through random mutations during viral replication inside host cells. Those that are more transmissible are naturally selected to spread more widely within the population. This represents a real-time example of Darwinian evolution. When a virus acquires a new capability, it is termed a “gain-of-function.”
These gains can include increased transmissibility (as seen with the delta variant) or enhanced virulence (making the virus deadlier). A significant concern for scientists is the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 mutating into a variant that can evade existing vaccines. Some British researchers believe this alarming scenario is “almost certain,” highlighting the urgent need for swift vaccination across the population.
Unvaccinated individuals present an enticing target for SARS-CoV-2, which uses them as breeding grounds. Among the trillions of viral particles produced during infection, only one needs to mutate to create a new variant. By remaining unvaccinated, these individuals are inadvertently providing the virus with opportunities to experiment with gain-of-function mutations. The higher the infection rates, the greater the likelihood of new variants emerging.
If people do not take the initiative to get vaccinated with safe and effective vaccines, there will likely be an increase in vaccine mandates aimed at controlling COVID-19 and moving towards normalcy.
A Call to Action
Humanity is in a race against time with this virus. We cannot afford to allow SARS-CoV-2 to discover ways to bypass the protective measures offered by our current vaccines. It’s crucial to get vaccinated without delay. As White House coronavirus coordinator Jeffrey Zients has emphasized, “Every person matters. Every shot matters. Every shot is progress. … It’s another life protected, another community that’s safer. It’s another step toward putting this pandemic behind us.”
For guidance on encouraging unvaccinated friends and loved ones, refer to the insights from research psychologist Peggy Drexler.
The video titled "Vaccination Helps Prevent COVID-19" discusses the vital role that vaccines play in controlling the pandemic and preventing severe outcomes related to COVID-19.
About the Author
Bill Sullivan is a professor in the departments of pharmacology and toxicology as well as microbiology and immunology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is also the author of "Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are" (National Geographic Books).