1
00:00:06,170 --> 00:00:08,790
Vismita Gupta-Smith:
Hello, and welcome to Science in 5.

2
00:00:08,790 --> 00:00:10,720
I'm Vismita Gupta-Smith.

3
00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,824
We are talking today
about the Delta variant and vaccines.

4
00:00:14,968 --> 00:00:19,745
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan,
WHO's Chief Scientist is our expert today.

5
00:00:19,780 --> 00:00:20,940
Welcome, Soumya.

6
00:00:21,010 --> 00:00:23,071
Our first question to you, Soumya,

7
00:00:23,071 --> 00:00:26,833
is we know that the Delta variant
is more transmissible.

8
00:00:27,039 --> 00:00:30,587
Please explain to us
what kind of protection

9
00:00:30,587 --> 00:00:34,109
we get from the current batch
of approved vaccines.

10
00:00:34,109 --> 00:00:37,204
Soumya Swaminathan: So we're
talking here about the Delta variant,

11
00:00:37,204 --> 00:00:39,171
which is the fourth variant of concern

12
00:00:39,171 --> 00:00:40,678
described by WHO

13
00:00:40,678 --> 00:00:44,512
because it's both more transmissible
than the previous variant

14
00:00:44,512 --> 00:00:50,484
and also has been able to resist
the antibodies that we have in our blood.

15
00:00:50,484 --> 00:00:53,966
So what that means is that you need
a higher level of antibodies

16
00:00:53,966 --> 00:00:55,561
to overcome this variant

17
00:00:55,561 --> 00:00:58,489
as compared to, let's say, 
the Alpha variant.

18
00:00:59,049 --> 00:01:05,202
Now, the good news is that all of the WHO
emergency use listed vaccines

19
00:01:05,202 --> 00:01:09,233
do protect against
developing severe disease,

20
00:01:09,233 --> 00:01:12,178
hospitalization and death
due to the Delta variant.

21
00:01:12,178 --> 00:01:13,319
So there are studies now

22
00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,453
from countries where there is
a predominance of Delta variant

23
00:01:16,453 --> 00:01:19,049
to show that people who've been vaccinated

24
00:01:19,049 --> 00:01:23,243
are much less likely
to end up in hospital.

25
00:01:23,500 --> 00:01:26,028
And you need the full
course of vaccination

26
00:01:26,028 --> 00:01:30,347
in order to give you that full immunity
to protect you against the Delta variant.

27
00:01:30,489 --> 00:01:31,879
So the important thing is

28
00:01:31,879 --> 00:01:36,743
if you have access to a vaccine
that's approved by WHO,

29
00:01:36,743 --> 00:01:38,878
please do take it and take the full course

30
00:01:38,878 --> 00:01:40,219
so that you can be protected

31
00:01:40,219 --> 00:01:43,521
both against the Delta
and other variants of COVID.

32
00:01:43,570 --> 00:01:47,791
VGS: Soumya, explain to us, please,
the level of protection that you have

33
00:01:47,791 --> 00:01:51,219
if you have received
one dose of the vaccine

34
00:01:51,219 --> 00:01:53,230
versus if you're fully vaccinated.

35
00:01:53,230 --> 00:01:57,912
SS: So the main goal of these vaccines
is really to prevent severe disease

36
00:01:57,912 --> 00:02:02,057
because what we want is for people,
even if they get the infection,

37
00:02:02,057 --> 00:02:05,994
is for them to recover from it
and not become seriously ill.

38
00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,679
So that's something that all
of these vaccines do really well.

39
00:02:10,679 --> 00:02:12,490
Of course, there are different levels.

40
00:02:12,490 --> 00:02:14,396
You read about the efficacy trials.

41
00:02:14,396 --> 00:02:16,991
They may range from 70% to 90%.

42
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,240
But in terms of just looking at
the prevention of severe disease

43
00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:21,244
and hospitalization,

44
00:02:21,244 --> 00:02:24,138
they're all very good, over 90% effective.

45
00:02:24,616 --> 00:02:28,102
Again, they vary in the protection
against getting an infection.

46
00:02:28,289 --> 00:02:30,924
Ideally, you know, you'd like a vaccine

47
00:02:30,924 --> 00:02:33,664
which completely prevents you
from getting infected,

48
00:02:33,664 --> 00:02:35,250
therefore you can't get ill.

49
00:02:35,540 --> 00:02:37,862
But none of the vaccines
that we have currently

50
00:02:37,862 --> 00:02:39,624
are 100% protective.

51
00:02:39,780 --> 00:02:44,884
So this is why even if you're vaccinated, 
you can get the infection,

52
00:02:44,884 --> 00:02:48,401
but the chances are
you'll get very mild symptoms

53
00:02:48,401 --> 00:02:49,912
or no symptoms at all,

54
00:02:49,912 --> 00:02:52,208
and that the chances
of getting seriously ill

55
00:02:52,208 --> 00:02:53,411
are really, really low.

56
00:02:53,411 --> 00:02:56,440
VGS: So Soumya,
if we can still get infected

57
00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:01,092
and also infect others
even after we are fully vaccinated,

58
00:03:01,092 --> 00:03:02,739
then why get vaccinated?

59
00:03:02,819 --> 00:03:05,512
SS: There are two very good reasons 
to get vaccinated.

60
00:03:05,699 --> 00:03:08,800
The first is to protect yourself
from getting severely ill

61
00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,090
if you catch the infection.

62
00:03:10,090 --> 00:03:13,622
We know that there's a certain proportion
of people of all age groups

63
00:03:13,622 --> 00:03:14,845
who do get severely ill

64
00:03:14,845 --> 00:03:18,030
and, you know, you could have a chance
of dying from this disease,

65
00:03:18,030 --> 00:03:19,742
and this is what we want to protect.

66
00:03:19,742 --> 00:03:23,031
So that's why you want
to get vaccinated in the first place.

67
00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,967
But secondly, if you get vaccinated 
and yes, you may still get the infection

68
00:03:27,967 --> 00:03:31,311
because we know that these vaccines
are not going to protect you a 100%

69
00:03:31,311 --> 00:03:32,321
from the infection.

70
00:03:32,321 --> 00:03:34,470
So there is a small risk you get infected,

71
00:03:34,470 --> 00:03:36,215
and you could pass it on to others.

72
00:03:36,419 --> 00:03:38,606
Why do you want to take
the risk of doing that?

73
00:03:38,606 --> 00:03:41,873
Why do you want to be one person
in the chain of transmission?

74
00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,808
What we need to do in the world today
is to break those chains of transmission,

75
00:03:45,808 --> 00:03:47,736
get control of this disease.

76
00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:49,482
So that's why we say

77
00:03:49,482 --> 00:03:52,498
get vaccinated as soon as you can get
access to your vaccine

78
00:03:52,498 --> 00:03:53,760
when your turn comes,

79
00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,151
and continue to take all the precautions

80
00:03:56,151 --> 00:03:59,286
so that you are completely
protecting yourself

81
00:03:59,286 --> 00:04:01,400
as well as protecting others around you.

82
00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:02,810
VGS: Thank you, Soumya.

83
00:04:02,810 --> 00:04:04,371
That was Science in 5 today.

84
00:04:04,371 --> 00:04:05,705
Until next time then.

85
00:04:05,705 --> 00:04:09,270
Stay safe. Stay healthy,
and stick with science.

86
00:04:09,270 --> 00:04:11,963
Subtitles by Maurício Kakuei Tanaka
Review by Carol Wang