RIVM: Vaccines protect the alpha variant from transmission of the coronavirus

Housemates of vaccinated infected people were 75 percent less likely to become infected than their unvaccinated fellows.

After a partial vaccination of an infected person, he still transmits the virus to 29 percent of his housemates. Thus, one injection of the vaccine, which needs two, hardly helps prevent transmission of the virus.

Deltavariant

The great protection that vaccines provide against indoor transmission of the virus is good news. But the question is, of course, to what extent this also applies to the more contagious delta variant.

“It’s probably going to look a little different with the delta variant,” says lead researcher Brechje de Gier. “But we cannot make any definite statements based on this data. This study shows that vaccines work very well against transmission of the virus and this has been clearly demonstrated for the first time.”

Susan van den Hove, Head of Epidemiology and Infectious Disease Surveillance at RIVM adds: “The data could actually turn out differently, but the efficacy of a vaccine won’t suddenly become zero. It would probably work the same way with variable delta, but with somewhat less protection. Exactly. What amount is impossible to determine at the moment,” she says.

“It shows once again how important it is to be fully vaccinated. To protect yourself and your environment.”