Research: ‘Coronavirus transmission much lower after vaccination’

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Vaccination protects against getting sick from the coronavirus, but some people still get infected with the coronavirus despite vaccination. Until now, it was not clear to what extent vaccinated people can still transmit the virus. Previous studies have often shown this association indirectly. ‘The RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment research now shows that the transmission of the virus after vaccination is also much lower,’ according to the RIVM.

Less virus transmission after full and partial vaccination

In the study, the housemates of people who were fully vaccinated were infected 71% less often than housemates of unvaccinated people. In people who were infected after partial vaccination (at least 2 weeks after the first injection of Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna), 21% fewer housemates became infected than in people who were not vaccinated.

Vaccinated housemates infected less often

It also turned out that fully vaccinated housemates of infected people are 75% less likely to become infected than unvaccinated housemates. This is slightly lower than the protection after vaccination in studies of the entire population, probably because housemates of infected persons are exposed to many virus particles.

Measures in case of infection remain important

This research shows that by getting vaccinated you not only protect yourself, but also others around you. It is important to complete the vaccination schedule. If you do become infected after full vaccination, it is therefore still important to go into isolation to protect the people around you.

Further research into Delta variant

The research was conducted with data between February and the end of May 2021, when mainly the alpha variant of the coronavirus was circulating in the Netherlands. In the coming months, RIVM will monitor whether the vaccines also provide protection against transmission of the delta variant. The full article is available on the website of Eurosurveillance, the European scientific journal on epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and control of infectious diseases.

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