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Hello and welcome to Science in 5.

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I'm Vismita Gupta-Smith.

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We are talking today[br]about the Delta variant and vaccines.

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Dr Soumya Swaminathan,[br]WHO's Chief Scientist is our expert today.

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Welcome, Soumya.

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Our first question to you, Soumya, [br]is we know that the Delta variant

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is more transmissible.

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Please explain to us[br]what kind of protection

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we get from the current batch[br]of approved vaccines.

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So we're talking here[br]about the Delta variant,

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which is the fourth variant of concern

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described by WHO

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because it's both more transmissible[br]than the previous variant

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and also has been able to resist[br]the antibodies that we have in our blood.

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So what that means is that you need[br]a higher level of antibodies

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to overcome this variant

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as compared to, let's say, [br]the Alpha variant.

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Now, the good news

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is that all of the WHO[br]emergency use listed vaccines

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do protect against[br]developing severe disease,

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hospitalization and death[br]due to the Delta variant.

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So there are studies now

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from countries where there is[br]a predominance of Delta variant

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to show that people who've been vaccinated

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are much less likely[br]to end up in hospital.

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And you need the full[br]course of vaccination

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in order to give you that full immunity[br]to protect you against the Delta variant.

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So the important thing is

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if you have access to a vaccine[br]that's approved by WHO,

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please do take it and take the full course

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so that you can be protected

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both against the Delta[br]and other variants of COVID.

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Soumya, explain to us, please,[br]the level of protection that you have

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if you have received[br]one dose of the vaccine

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versus if you're fully vaccinated.

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So the main goal of these vaccines[br]is really to prevent severe disease,

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because what we want is for people, even if they get [br]the infection, is for them to recover

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from it and not become seriously ill.

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So that's something that all [br]of these vaccines do really well.

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Of course, there are different levels.

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You read about the efficacy trials.

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They may range from 70 to 90%.

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But in terms of just looking [br]at the prevention of severe disease

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and hospitalization, they're all [br]very good, over 90% effective.

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Again, they vary in [br]the protection against getting infection.

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Ideally, you know, you'd like a vaccine [br]which completely prevents you from getting

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infected therefore, you can't get ill.

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But none of the vaccines that [br]we have currently are 100% protective.

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So this is why even if you're vaccinated, [br]you can get the infection, but the chances

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are you'll get a very mild symptoms or no [br]symptoms at all and that the chances

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of getting seriously ill [br]are really, really low.

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So Soumya, if we can still get infected and [br]also infect others even after we are

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fully vaccinated, then why get vaccinated?

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There're two very good reasons [br]to get vaccinated.

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The first is to protect yourself from [br]getting severely ill if you

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catch the infection.

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We know that there's a certain proportion of [br]people of all age groups who do get severely

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ill and you could have a [br]chance of dying from this disease.

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And this is what we want to protect.

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So that's why you want to [br]get vaccinated in the first place.

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But secondly, if you get vaccinated [br]and yes, you may still get the infection

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because we know that these vaccines are not [br]going to protect you

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a 100% from the infection.

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So there is a small risk you get infected [br]and you could pass it on to others.

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Why do you want to [br]take the risk of doing that?

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Why do you want to be [br]one person in the chain of transmission?

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What we need to do in the world today is to [br]break those chains of transmission,

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get a control on this disease.

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So that's why we say get vaccinated as soon [br]as you can get access to your vaccine when

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your turn comes and continue to take all the [br]precautions so that you are completely

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protecting yourself as well [br]as protecting others around you.

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Thank you Soumya.

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That was Science in 5 today.

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Until next time then, stay safe, [br]stay healthy and stick with science.