WHO: Masks should still be worn even after vaccination.
On May 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 continue to wear masks in areas with a high rate of coronavirus infection.
In an email sent to the press, the WHO wrote: "Vaccines can save lives, but they alone are not enough."
The statement comes after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowed vaccinated individuals to remove their masks in public. To date, 60% of adults in the country have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The number of infections has decreased rapidly, averaging 38,000 cases over the past seven days, or 11 cases per 100,000 people.
The WHO declined to comment specifically on the situation in the US, but experts stressed that the decision to lift restrictions, including recommendations on masks, was based on more factors than just vaccination rates.
Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO's Covid-19 technical team, stated: "It depends on the extent of the virus's spread, the number of vaccines available, the variants circulating, etc."
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| A 15-year-old student receives a Covid-19 vaccine in East Hartford, USA, on May 13. Photo: NY Times |
COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in preventing severe infections and deaths. There is growing evidence that they protect users from transmission of the virus.
However, the WHO's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said they "are not 100% effective." She said: "You can get the disease without symptoms, or have mild or moderate illness even after vaccination."
She also warned that vaccines are not a magic bullet against viral infection. "That's why we need additional protective measures such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing until countries achieve herd immunity and the rate of virus transmission is at its lowest level."
She warned that so far, very few countries are in a position to completely lift social distancing measures. The WHO's Director of Emergency Health Programs, Mike Ryan, agreed with this view. He stated, "Restrictions on masks should only be eased or removed when transmission rates are low and vaccination coverage is high."