New research from Israel indicates that some coronavirus vaccines may decrease the transmission of viruses. For infections occurring 12 to 28 days after the first dose, researchers found that the viral load was reduced four-fold. The mRNA-based vaccine is also used and is called COVID-19 in Canada. The study still needs peer-review, but experts say it provides hope in the battle against the new virus.
“It doesn’t answer all the questions, but it starts to tell us that there actually might be some added benefit to these vaccines,” says an expert. The study was released in the journal Vaccine Research, Vol., as an unpublished, non-peer-reviewed preprint on Monday. 2. It’s been a waiting game to figure out whether the mRNA vaccines’ protection from disease could also curb transmission, he says. Preliminary research provides early indications that at least one vaccine against coronavirus may lead to lower viral loads. COVID-19 tests identify the viral infection by amplifying the RNA of the virus until it reaches a level where it can be found.
To detect the virus, multiple rounds of amplification may be required. A higher cycle threshold usually means that there is less genetic material present in viruses, which usually means that people are less contagious, says Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a member of the task force for vaccines in Ontario. The early results still require peer-review, but he says they offer some hope in the fight against the virus. In Canada, the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved.
Source CBC
