Why You Shouldn't Stop Wearing A Mask Even After 2 Vaccine Doses

New variants of the coronavirus are in the air. While vaccines available in India give you 80% protection, adding a mask can make it airtight

- Abhilash Gaur

The measles virus is a champion spreader. One person with measles can infect 12-18 others. On average, one coronavirus patient infects fewer than three. Both measles and Covid spread through the air, so why don’t we wear masks to keep measles at bay?

There are two reasons. The measles vaccine (MMR) is extremely effective. After two doses, you have 97% protection, which is equal to the best of Covid vaccines. More important: Everyone around you is vaccinated for measles. Chances of running into it are dim.

Does that mean we won’t need to wear masks when most people are vaccinated for Covid? In the US, for example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says, “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing.”

US President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci is more cautious. He says fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear masks outdoors unless “people are essentially falling over each other.”

In the US, 45% of adults are fully vaccinated while about 60% have got at least one dose. It’s aiming for 70% coverage by July 4. Also, most Americans have taken mRNA vaccines with efficacy scores of 95%.