Vaccination against Covid-19 does not prevent the circulation of the coronavirus but protects against severe forms of the disease. A very effective protection even in the very old people. – Bony / SIPA
- In Marckolsheim, in the Bas-Rhin, a dozen residents of an nursing home were infected with Covid-19 while the majority of them had been vaccinated.
- Three of them had to be hospitalized, but no serious form is to be deplored.
- This proves the effectiveness of the protection conferred by anti-Covid vaccines, which aim to prevent the development of severe forms of the disease and the congestion of intensive care units.
Vaccinated but covid. In Marckolsheim, in the Bas-Rhin, a dozen residents of an Ehpad, the Résidence de Ried, have tested positive for Covid-19 while the majority of them have been vaccinated. Seven of these residents even received their two doses of Pfizer vaccine.
So, should we be concerned about these contaminations? What do they mean? They show that if the virus continues to circulate, vaccination makes it possible, on the other hand, to prevent the development of serious forms of the disease, in particular among the most vulnerable populations.
The circulation of the virus not prevented
Among the dozen residents who tested positive for the coronavirus, three had to be hospitalized, says France 3 Grand-Est ; two not vaccinated at all and one having only received the first dose. But “people hospitalized are out of caution because they have serious pathologies, and not because they have a severe form of Covid”, said the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of the Grand-Est. Within the nursing home, health measures have been taken to limit the spread of the virus. Thus, in addition to screening all residents and staff, the establishment has been closed to the public since March 27. Its reopening is scheduled for April 8, if developments allow. A new follow-up screening should be performed the day before the reopening.
The vaccination of the majority of residents therefore did not prevent the virus from circulating. And in addition to the dozen infected residents, seven staff members have also tested positive for the coronavirus. “Vaccination does not block the circulation of the virus and contaminations,” recalls Dr. Jean-Paul Hamon, general practitioner in Clamart and honorary president of the
Federation of Doctors of France (FMF). This clearly shows the importance of massively vaccinating staff, because if the vaccination coverage in nursing homes is high among residents, we can and must do better with regard to the caregivers and interveners who take care of it on a daily basis. It is essential, insists the doctor. In addition, we must continue to respect barrier gestures in nursing homes, especially since all residents have not yet received their two doses of the vaccine ”.
In these establishments, residents receive messenger RNA vaccines, from Pfizer or Moderna, mainly from the first city. And it is only after injection of the two doses that full immunity is acquired. “It starts to develop about two weeks after the first dose is injected,” says Dr. Hamon. The second dose is given 21 days later for Pfizer and 28 days later for Moderna. And it is considered that complete immunity is acquired 15 days after the second injection ”.
The vaccine, protection against severe forms
Once this immunity has been acquired, “the vaccinated person is protected from serious forms,” explains Dr. Hamon. This is what we expect from the vaccine: preventing severe forms of Covid-19 and hospitalizations. Because the pressure exerted by the Covid-19 on the hospital remains extremely strong, in particular in the intensive care units, which are saturated. The first waves of the epidemic showed that elderly residents of nursing homes do not have intensive care beds, hence the importance of vaccinating them to prevent them from needing them ”.
In the field, anti-Covid vaccines are fulfilling their contract. “In a nursing home in Clamart, the families of two residents did not want their loved one to be vaccinated. Then, two caregivers tested positive and infected them, which resulted in screening of all residents, says the doctor. Of those vaccinated, two – 94 and 98 years old – had a positive PCR test, but without developing any symptoms, and their control PCR a few days later came back negative. We can clearly see, while the elderly have weaker immunity and respond less well than the rest of the population to vaccines, that anti-Covid vaccines protect very effectively, even the very old ”.
To date, in France, “95% of elderly people residing in nursing homes or USLDs (long-term care units) have received their first dose of vaccine, indicates the Ministry of Health. And 73% have already received their two injections ”.